Hour Flights: Southwest Airlines Launches Exciting New Route To Hawaii In August [Map]

Southwest Airlines is preparing to launch a new Hawaii corridor from Southern California in August, linking Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu. The route is scheduled to begin on August 4 and will operate year-round, with frequencies varying by month, and a maximum scheduled westbound block time of nearly six hours. In 2026, Southwest is set to be the second carrier to serve the corridor after Alaska Airlines’ debut last month, though Alaska is described as operating seasonal service while Southwest’s plan is broader. Southwest’s presence follows a previous nonstop service that last operated in 2005 by Aloha Airlines. Cirium data cited by the article shows four rotations in August, 16 in September, five in October, 19 in November, and 15 in December. It also notes that only about 6,000 round-trip passengers flew between the airports in the 12 months ending in March, while many nearby travelers may instead drive to Los Angeles International (LAX) due to the short distance.