In news that can be filed under “why did that take so long”, Hawaiian Airlines have chosen to switch their wide-body replacement programme from the Airbus A330-800neo to the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Hawaiian Airlines has signed for ten Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, with purchase rights for another 10.
![Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Hawaiian Airlines announced today that the carrier has selected the market-leading 787 Dreamliner as its flagship airplane for medium to long-haul flights. This rendering shows the airplane in Hawaiian's livery. (PRNewsfoto/Boeing) Boeing Hawaiian Airlines 787 Dreamliner - Image, The Boeing Company](https://economyclassandbeyond.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/protected_url-800x321.jpg)
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 – Rendering, The Boeing Company.
At list prices, the order is worth US $2.82 billion, with the planes to be fitted with General Electric GEnx engines. This includes the aircraft as well as Boeing Global Services to include training, provisioning and to allow an on-time entry into service
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – Image, The Boeing Company/Hawaiian Airlines
And of course, there’s a video.
After an extensive evaluation of our future fleet needs, we’re excited to announce that we’ve selected the @BoeingAirplanes 787 #Dreamliner to grow our medium to long-haul fleet. As part of the selection, we intend to purchase 10 787-9 jets. #AvGeek #Aviation pic.twitter.com/2Nqve7blLP
— Hawaiian Airlines (@HawaiianAir) March 6, 2018
On selection of the Boeing 787-9, Peter Ingram, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines states
“We were in the enviable position of choosing between two outstanding models for our flagship aircraft of the future and I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of adding the Dreamliner to Hawaiian’s fleet,”
“The Dreamliner’s operational efficiency and superior guest experience make it the best aircraft for modernizing our fleet in 2021 and beyond,”
“Its expanded seat capacity and extended range will allows us to expand within our current route network and offer new destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO, Kevin McAllister is happy with the order, stating
“Hawaiian Airlines has been on an impressive growth trajectory as they strategically expanded service to and from Asia and North America. We are thrilled they have chosen the 787 Dreamliner to power the next stage of their expansion,”
“The Dreamliner’s advanced technology, unmatched fuel efficiency, and passenger-pleasing cabin will optimize Hawaiian’s fleet for the future and provide their customers with a best in-class experience.”
So what does this mean for the Airbus A330-800neo after today? It means big problems.
The A330-800neo now has a total order backlog of… zero aircraft, which does not bode well for an aircraft that has commenced flight testing.
Hawaiian had orders for six A330-800neo aircraft, which have been cancelled. The bidding process for the new aircraft involved a competitive bid process that also included the Airbus A330-900 as well as Boeing 787-9 according to Hawaiian Airlines.
In Chicago/Seattle, there will be a lot of happy faces as Boeing gets one-up on Airbus. But at Toulouse, there will be some serious head scratching on what to do with the A330-800neo…
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