The ninth island of Hawaii has been added to Southwest Airlines’ non-stop flight directory.
Photo: Getty Images / Michael Valdez
It’s true! Traveling to Hawaii’s unofficial ninth island, Las Vegas, just got a little easier with Southwest Airlines.
After becoming a major player in the Hawaiian airline realm in 2019, Southwest Airlines only expanded its presence, offering more and more routes to and from the islands – all for a barely-beatable affordable price. And now the airline is offering non-stop routes from HNL (Honolulu) to LAS (Las Vegas). This is good news not only for visitors but also for locals: Las Vegas is a prime destination for Kamaʻāina (long-time residents of Hawaii).
Perfect timing too. On June 11th, Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, lifted all COVID-19 pandemic restrictions so restaurants, hotels and bars can be fully opened. With a few exceptions, fully vaccinated people do not have to wear any masks.
“We’re always happy about additional flights to and from Las Vegas, but this one is particularly interesting because there is such a connection between Hawaii and Las Vegas; we are the ninth island, ”said Christine Crews, spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport (LAS) in a press release. “So we’re really looking forward to both ends of the goal. There are many people from here who want to go to Hawaii and many people from Hawaii who want to come to Las Vegas. “
The Las Vegas route has been one of the most requested customers since airlines landed in Hawaii in 2019 but was delayed due to COVID-19. With new connections to Los Angeles and Phoenix, Southwest Airlines can now connect planes to major cities across the mainland and has become an even bigger player in Hawaiian airspace.
One of Southwest Airlines’ main competitors, Hawaiian Airlines, has also begun introducing new flight routes, such as a non-stop route from Phoenix to Maui and a flight from Ontario to Honolulu. Hawaiian Airlines currently also offers a non-stop flight route from Honolulu to Las Vegas.
