Southwest Airlines is finally spreading its wings to Hawaii.
After much rumor, Southwest made it official, and hopes to begin flying in 2018.
No timeline or planned departure cities have been announced yet but tickets will go on sale next year.
"Hawaii is an important place for Southwest Airlines because so many people count on us to take them everywhere they want to go reliably and affordably,” CEO Gary Kelly said in a statement.
"We’re ready and excited to address a request we’ve heard for years."
Before it can announce a launch date Southwest needs to obtain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS).
"The launch of our ETOPS work begins the next chapter of Southwest Airlines. We’re thrilled to bring Hawaii next year as an option to more than 115 million customers who already fly with us annually," said Southwest’s COO Mike Van de Ven.
Southwest will deploy its new 175-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on routes to Hawaii.
