California

Aloha! Southwest Begins Service From Mainland US to Hawaii

Southwest Airlines is officially shuttling travelers from the contiguous United States to Hawaii.

The low-cost carrier on Sunday celebrated its first-ever commercial flight from the mainland to the nation's 50th state. Flight 6808 departed Oakland International Airport for Honolulu at 11:26 a.m., according to the airline.

Hula dancers, a traditional Hawaiian blessing and a ceremonial water arch were scheduled to help send off the plane on its roughly 2,400 mile journey across the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Oakland International Airport is the first mainland airport that Southwest is using to fly passengers nonstop to the islands. Southwest also plans to fly to the islands from three other California cities — San Jose, Sacramento and San Diego — in the future.

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