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Alaska Air Group likely to use Boeing 737-800s to replace Hawaiian Airlines’ 717s on interisland routes

Alaska Air Group is expected to deploy Boeing 737-800s to assume Hawaiian Airlines’ interisland flying as it prepares to phase out the smaller 717 aircraft that have handled the mission for roughly 25 years. The move signals a narrower, more common aircraft type for the Hawaii domestic network.

Discovered 2026-06-17T17:41:24.776331-07:00 | 2026-06-17T17:41:24.776331-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The likely shift from Hawaiian 717s to Alaska 737-800s will reshape interisland capacity planning and fleet economics in Hawaii, consolidating operations around a larger, more capable narrowbody.
For aircraft OEM and airline planning teams, it’s a high-visibility data point on where next generation single-aisle capacity can be absorbed as older “workhorse” jets are retired.
This network-change also reinforces the practical interoperability benefits of Alaska’s fleet strategy ahead of broader integration considerations, as seen in Alaska’s ongoing international growth moves (e.g., Alaska Airlines plots 787-led shift).

Reported By

Cranky Flier Simple Flying ch-aviation The Air Current