United Airlines Is Cutting Some of Its Hawaii Flights

Starting in 2023, United Airlines will no longer fly nonstop between Hilo, Hawaii, and Los Angeles International Airport, axing the only nonstop service between Hilo and the continental United States, and service that United had flown since 2011.

The news, which was first reported by USA Today, means that passengers flying out of Hilo must first fly on an inter-island flight to another major airport in Hawaii before heading to the United States. They also will have to fly on a different carrier—Southwest Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines—as United does not fly those inter-island flights.

United, in a statement, said that the move was a regular adjustment of its schedule and that it still offers the most service to Kona out of any carrier.

Even with the move, United will still offer service to a number of other Hawaii hubs, including Honolulu, Kauai, Kona, and Maui. The carrier flies the most routes into Honolulu, the largest airport on the islands—United has direct service into Honolulu from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, Orange County, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles.

United is in the midst of gearing up for an expansive summer 2023 travel season. Recently it unveiled that schedule, which includes more flights to more European cities than ever before. The carrier said interest in travel to Europe for summer 2023 is up 20% compared to the same period in 2019.