Hawaiian Airlines confirms it has not cancelled an order for six Airbus A330-800s, countering reports that the carrier had already terminated its deal with Airbus in favour of Boeing 787-9s.
Though the Honolulu-based airline confirms its agreement to buy the Airbus widebodies remains in place, Hawaiian declines to comment about whether a new deal with Boeing may be imminent, as has been reported.
"It is well-known that Hawaiian Air has been negotiating with both Boeing and Airbus for the next addition to our fleet. We have not signed an agreement with either manufacturer," Hawaiian says. "We look forward to announcing the conclusion of those negotiations when it is appropriate to do so."
Boeing declined to comment and Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This week at least two media outlets reported that Hawaiian had already, or soon will, switch allegiance from Airbus's roughly 257-seat A330-800 to Boeing's 290-seat 787-9.
Hawaiian chief executive Mark Dunkerley has made no secret that Hawaiian has been studying the possibility of altering its widebody fleet plans in response to the airline's changing needs.
In October 2017, he called the 787 is a "serious contender" for Hawaiian's business, though he also praised the A330 and A350. Dunkerley never specified which 787 variant Hawaiian eyed.
Indeed, Hawaiian has evolved significantly since 2008, when it threw its lot with Airbus by signing an agreement to purchase six A350-800s.
Back then, Hawaiian did not serve Asia; the majority of its overseas routes connected Hawaii to the US mainland. By comparison, today it flies to Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and South Korea.
The still-undeveloped A350-800 was a slow seller for Airbus, and Hawaiian, one of the type's few customers, backed out in 2014, converting its order to six A330-800s.
Hawaiian is the only customer for the A330-800.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
