Southwest Airlines is expanding its Hawaii network with six new nonstop routes launched or scheduled between March 2026 and March 2027. The expansion connects Hawaii with major airports across California and Las Vegas, strengthening the carrier’s position in one of its most important leisure markets.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, five of the six new routes originate in California, while the sixth links Las Vegas with Hilo. Together, the additions cover nine airports and represent 15,582 network miles, giving travelers more nonstop options between the US mainland and the Hawaiian Islands.
The growth also fits into a broader strategy that goes beyond mainland-to-Hawaii flying. Southwest has developed a substantial inter-island network, allowing passengers arriving from the mainland to continue to other Hawaiian destinations on the carrier’s Boeing 737 fleet. This combination gives Southwest a role on both sides of the Pacific crossing.
Southwest Airlines Adds Las Vegas–Hilo Nonstop Service
The most distinctive of the six new routes is Las Vegas–Hilo, connecting Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) with Hilo International Airport (ITO). Unlike the other five additions, this route does not originate in California.
Southwest began operating the service on August 6, 2026, with the route initially scheduled for approximately three to four flights per week. Frequency is expected to increase toward four or five weekly flights during the final two months of the year, giving the route a stronger presence during the important winter travel period.
The airline uses its 175-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8 on the route. Westbound flight WN568 departs Las Vegas at 9:30 a.m. and arrives in Hilo at 12:35 p.m., with a scheduled flying time of approximately six hours and five minutes. The return, WN3253, operates overnight, leaving Hilo at 8:45 p.m. and reaching Las Vegas at 5:10 a.m. the following morning.
The connection also has significance beyond airline scheduling. Las Vegas has long maintained a strong tourism relationship with Hawaii, with local officials sometimes referring to the destination as the “Ninth Island.” The new nonstop route gives travelers in Hawaii a more direct way to reach Las Vegas while also opening another mainland gateway for Hilo.
Five New Southwest Hawaii Routes From California
California remains the center of Southwest’s latest Hawaii expansion. The airline has introduced or scheduled five new routes from the state, reflecting the importance of the West Coast as a natural gateway to the islands.
Two new services connect California airports with Honolulu International Airport (HNL). Southwest launched flights from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in August 2026, while service from Ontario International Airport (ONT) began in June. Both routes are currently scheduled to operate through at least May.
San Diego is receiving an especially notable share of the expansion. Southwest launched a new San Diego–Maui route in early March 2026, with daily flights connecting San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Kahului Airport (OGG). The service is currently scheduled to continue until at least early June.
The airline is also preparing two additional routes from San Diego for March 2027. Southwest will connect SAN with Kona International Airport (KOA) and Lihue Airport (LIH), expanding the airport’s Hawaii portfolio beyond Maui. These services are expected to operate at lower frequencies of roughly two flights per week.
Like the Burbank and Ontario services, the new San Diego routes will use Southwest’s 175-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8. The aircraft gives the airline a common platform for these long Pacific routes while retaining the narrowbody configuration that defines much of Southwest’s network.
San Diego Becomes a Larger Southwest Hawaii Gateway
The growth at San Diego is particularly important because it demonstrates how Southwest is building depth rather than simply adding isolated routes. With Maui already served daily, the planned additions to Kona and Lihue will give passengers from the Southern California market direct access to three different Hawaiian islands.
That broader destination spread can matter as much as frequency. Honolulu remains Hawaii’s largest aviation gateway, but nonstop service to Maui, the Big Island and Kauai allows travelers to bypass an additional domestic connection after crossing the Pacific.
For Southwest, this approach also creates opportunities to distribute demand across multiple Hawaiian airports. Instead of concentrating every mainland passenger through Honolulu, the airline can serve different vacation markets directly.
Southwest’s Hawaii Network Goes Beyond Mainland Routes
Southwest’s Hawaiian operation is not limited to flights between the islands and the US mainland. Its inter-island network has become a significant part of the airline’s presence in Hawaii, using Boeing 737 aircraft to connect the state’s major airports.
Cirium data for September 2026 shows Southwest has scheduled 1,468 inter-island flights, providing approximately 256,900 seats and 35.9 million available seat miles during the month.
Honolulu–Maui is the airline’s busiest inter-island corridor, with approximately seven or eight flights per day. Southwest also typically operates four or five daily flights between Honolulu and each of Hilo, Kona and Lihue.
The airline also links Maui with Kona and Lihue on a daily basis, creating a network that reaches across the four principal Hawaiian airports served by Southwest from the mainland.
A Larger Southwest Footprint Across Hawaii
The six new routes therefore represent more than a collection of individual schedule changes. They add new mainland gateways, increase the number of Hawaiian destinations available nonstop from California, and strengthen connections into Southwest’s existing inter-island operation.
With Las Vegas, Burbank, Ontario and San Diego contributing to the latest expansion, Southwest is broadening access to Hawaii from several major Western US markets. At the same time, its established inter-island schedule gives mainland passengers additional ways to continue their journeys after arriving in the islands.
For travelers planning Hawaii trips during the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, the result is a larger selection of Southwest nonstop flights to Hawaii, including new options to Hilo, Honolulu, Maui, Kona and Lihue.
