HAL spends Hawaiian Airlines said today it has confirmed its order for nine new Boeing 767-300ER jumbo jets in addition to the seven for which it has already signed agreements.
$1 billion on
new jets
Hawaiian Airlines has confirmed
an order for 9 more
767 jets from BoeingBy Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.comHawaiian has not said what the aircraft are worth, but earlier disclosures indicate that the nine planes and equipment that comes with them could be worth more than $1 billion, based on Hawaiian's announcement in April that it would get three of the brand-new extended range planes in a deal worth $330 million.
On July 1, Hawaiian announced it would get another four of the jumbos, but did not disclose the terms.
The company said the latest acquisitions will be financed through long-term lease financing arranged through Boeing Capital Corp. and Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services.
Hawaiian will start taking delivery of the new 767-300ERs at about the end of this year. The first of the nine in the new order is expected in the third quarter of 2002. Getting new planes at a rate of about one a month, Hawaiian expects to complete the replacement of its long-range fleet by mid-2003.
By then all of its McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 jumbo jets will be gone and it will have an all-new fleet for its long-range services, which include mainland-Hawaii, Hawaii-South Pacific and charter services.
All of the aircraft will be configured with two aisles and 252 seats -- 18 in first class and 234 in coach.
Hawaiian is also well along with the $430 million replacement of its entire interisland fleet. The airline has taken delivery of six brand-new Boeing 717-200 jets, phasing out six of its older DC-9s.
By the end of this year, all of the DC-9s will be out of service and Hawaiian will be flying 13 of the new fuel-efficient 717s among the islands.
The airline has options to acquire an additional seven planes. By the time the last of the 767s is delivered in 2003, Hawaiian will have an entirely Boeing fleet.