Hawaiian Airlines ERFinal 767-300. (Hawaiian Airlines)
Hawaiian Airlines has put its last Boeing 767-300ER out to pasture after a final Sacramento, California-to-Honolulu, Hawaii flight.
The jets initially replaced McDonnell-Douglas DC-10s for Hawaiian and have been getting phased out in favor of 24 Airbus A330s — though, soon, that job will be switched to 787-9 Dreamliners, of which the operator ordered 10 this past year, and will begin taking delivery in 2021.
“The Boeing 767 was instrumental to our transpacific growth, international expansion and success in introducing millions of guests to this special place we call home,” said Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO Peter Ingram after a Hawaiian blessing during a celebration to mark the occasion.
The airline said it credits the 767’s range of nearly 6,000 nautical miles in the extended range version with allowing it to add markets such as Australia, Japan and South Korea to its offered direct flights, aiding growth from 5.8 million passengers in 2001 to 8.4 million in 2010.
The pilots who flew Hawaiian’s first 767 flight in 2001. (Hawaiian Airlines)
“The Boeing 767 changed the game in the medium widebody market. The airplane enabled Hawaiian to efficiently serve its unique routes and achieve impressive growth over the years,” said Boeing Vice President of Commercial Marketing Randy Tinseth in a Hawaiian Airlines statement. “In 2021, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner brings more range and much greater fuel efficiency. It will again transform Hawaiian’s ability to efficiently and comfortably bring people to and from the beautiful islands of Hawaii.”
When Hawaiian added the 767 to its fleet in 2001, even the extended range version was already well over a decade old, with the base 767 debuting in 1982. The Dreamliner was first delivered to All Nippon Airlines in 2011, but will still be one of Boeing’s newest offerings in 2021. The 787-9 has a range of over 7,600 nautical miles with a 280-passenger capacity, topping both the 767-300ER and the A330-200 in both range and capacity.