A couple of Bay Area international airports are preparing to offer nonstop flights to Hawaii through Southwest Airlines.
The Mineta San Jose International Airport and Oakland Metropolitan Airport are awaiting regulatory approvals to gain nonstop service to four Hawaii islands along with Sacramento and San Diego International airports.
Southwest first promised to offer the nonstop service a couple of years ago, and on May 3 the company announced they’d be moving forward, seeking Federal Aviation Administration approvals. Though the process can take up to a year, the company plans on beginning to sell tickets soon.
Southwest plans to fly to four Hawaiian islands — Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the island of Hawaii — all which will also be part of a possible interisland service.
"The way we plan to serve Hawaii requires us to share these initial details now so that our facilities in the airports will be ready for all that we intend to offer," Southwest President Tom Nealon said Thursday. "We're on-track with our plans to sell tickets this year and are respectfully engaged in the process to receive FAA authorization to operate between the mainland and the Islands."
