Hawaiian Airlines is preparing for a sweeping transformation across its home islands, backed by a five year investment plan of more than six hundred million dollars. Under the banner of the new Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan, the carrier, now part of Alaska Air Group, is targeting a full refresh of airport spaces, technology, and long haul aircraft interiors, while also expanding its commitments to community partnerships and sustainability. For travelers who fly to, from, or within Hawaii, the upgrades promise a substantially different experience by the end of the decade, from brighter, more comfortable terminals and a flagship premium lounge in Honolulu to upgraded Airbus A330 cabins and a streamlined digital journey.
What the Six Hundred Million Dollar Plan Actually Covers
Announced in early January 2026, the more than six hundred million dollar initiative is one of the largest single investments in Hawaiian Airlines’ history. Branded as the Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan, it is designed to touch nearly every phase of the customer journey, from planning and booking to boarding and in flight experience, while also reinforcing the airline’s role as a community and environmental stakeholder in the islands.
The plan is framed as a five year program rather than a one time capital outlay. That means projects will roll out in phases between 2026 and 2029, with some benefits visible as soon as this spring and others, like the Airbus A330 interior retrofits, not reaching travelers until the latter part of the decade. Hawaiian Airlines leadership has said the investment is about modernizing infrastructure and tools in a way that still reflects local culture, hospitality, and responsibility to residents who rely on the airline as an essential connector.
Beyond guest facing improvements, a portion of the spending is devoted to the behind the scenes technology and workforce development needed to support a more complex network within the Alaska Air Group and eventual participation in the oneworld alliance. The plan also dovetails with separate, longer term fleet moves, including retaining and acquiring additional Airbus A330s, even though those aircraft purchases are not counted within the six hundred million dollar figure.
Airport Upgrades Across Five Hawaiian Islands
One of the most visible elements for travelers will be the overhaul of key airport facilities across the state. Between now and 2029, Hawaiian Airlines plans to renovate lobbies and gates at five major airports: Honolulu on Oahu, Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi, Kahului on Maui, and Kona and Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. These spaces are at the heart of interisland and transpacific traffic, and many have not seen a comprehensive aesthetic and functional refresh in years.
The planned redesign focuses on creating brighter, more open concourses with upgraded seating and noticeably more access to power outlets, a frequent complaint among modern travelers. Layout changes aim to improve passenger flow during peak bank departures, which are a hallmark of Hawaii’s interisland schedule. For Hawaiian, these spaces also offer another canvas to showcase local design, materials, and artwork so that the airport experience feels more rooted in the islands rather than in a generic terminal style.
Construction will be staged to minimize disruption, but travelers should expect periodic gate relocations and work zones as projects ramp up. The carrier has signaled that it is working closely with local airport authorities to sequence work in a way that preserves capacity, particularly at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, where Hawaiian handles heavy daily volumes of interisland and mainland flights.
A New Flagship Premium Lounge in Honolulu
At the center of the airport investment is a new flagship premium lounge planned for Honolulu, which will serve as Hawaiian Airlines’ primary hub facility for its most frequent and high yielding guests. The lounge will occupy approximately 10,600 square feet at the entrance to the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1, a location that positions it near many of the airline’s interisland and transpacific departures.
When it opens, currently projected around 2027, the space will be the airline’s largest lounge in Honolulu, surpassing its existing club offerings at the airport. While specific design details and amenities have not all been publicly outlined, the carrier has indicated that the lounge will set a new standard of pre flight comfort in its network, with expanded seating, food and beverage options, and work friendly zones that reflect both global premium trends and local Hawaiian hospitality.
This new lounge also aligns Hawaiian more closely with the premium ground experience offered by other oneworld carriers, something that will become more important as alliance integration deepens and reciprocal lounge access for elite members comes into play. For travelers connecting through Honolulu on long haul itineraries, the upgraded club is expected to function as a true anchor, offering a calmer space between flights and a more consistent premium journey.
Revamped Digital Experience and Alaska Integration
Technology lies at the heart of the plan’s near term improvements. Beginning this spring, Hawaiian Airlines is slated to roll out a new version of its mobile app and website designed to simplify everything from trip planning to day of travel tasks. The refreshed platforms will emphasize self service, giving guests more ability to change flights, manage same day travel adjustments, and redeem award travel on global partners without relying on a call center or airport desk.
The digital overhaul is not happening in isolation. Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines are in the process of migrating to a shared passenger service system, the complex back end that handles reservations, check in, boarding and more. That cutover, together with Hawaiian’s entry into the oneworld alliance, is currently expected in late April 2026. Once the systems are aligned, more advanced features, such as seamless itinerary changes across both brands and more robust partnership award options, should become possible.
For travelers based in Hawaii, this integration could significantly broaden the reach of their loyalty benefits. Hawaiian has said that the investment plan will support enhanced rewards and exclusive perks for local residents, and alignment with Alaska’s network and oneworld status tiers will further expand the range of destinations and partners where miles and elite status can be used. In practical terms, a family flying from Hilo to Honolulu and on to the mainland or beyond should eventually see a more streamlined booking and check in process across the combined network.
New Cabins and Connectivity on Airbus A330 Flights
The long haul experience is a major focus of the later stages of the investment. Starting in 2028, Hawaiian Airlines will begin a full interior retrofit of its Airbus A330 fleet, which handles many of the carrier’s transpacific routes between Honolulu and destinations on the U.S. mainland and across the Pacific. The project will update virtually every guest facing element on board, from seating layouts to lighting and entertainment.
One headline change is the introduction of a true premium economy cabin, filling a gap between the current main cabin and the lie flat first class product. Alongside this, Hawaiian plans to roll out new first class suites, designed to meet evolving expectations for privacy and comfort on overnight and long haul flights. All cabins will receive new seats, carpets, and updated cabin lighting, bringing the A330 interiors closer in feel to more recently delivered widebody aircraft operated by other global carriers.
Inflight technology will also see a major leap. The retrofitted aircraft are slated to feature high definition seatback entertainment screens with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing guests to pair their own wireless headphones instead of relying on wired options. Perhaps more transformative for many travelers will be the introduction of fast, free Wi Fi through SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, enabling real time messaging, browsing, and work throughout long overwater segments where connectivity has historically been limited or costly.
To support its long haul network through and beyond the retrofit period, Hawaiian Airlines is also acquiring three of its A330s that were previously leased, though those aircraft purchases fall outside the six hundred million dollar investment total. Taken together, these moves suggest a continued commitment to the A330 as the backbone of the carrier’s Pacific operations well into the 2030s, even as industry peers shift to newer widebody types.
Benefits for Local Communities and Sustainability Goals
While travelers will most immediately notice the refreshed terminals and cabins, Hawaiian Airlines has emphasized that a significant portion of the Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan is devoted to the wider community and environmental initiatives that underpin tourism in the islands. The name itself, Kahuʻewai, evokes fresh water as a vital resource, underscoring a focus on nurturing long term resilience rather than short term gains.
On the community side, the airline is expanding its workforce development programs, including partnerships that help local residents pursue careers in aviation and related fields. It is deepening ties with local business accelerator programs to feature more products from Hawaii based small companies on board and in lounges, creating additional opportunities for local entrepreneurs to reach visitors and residents alike.
Sustainability investments are expected to encompass both operational measures and support for regenerative tourism efforts. Hawaiian has flagged continued support for its Travel Pono program, which encourages visitors to make choices that respect local culture and environment, as well as new grants and initiatives aimed at preserving natural resources across the islands. The plan also references exploring lower emission technologies, which may include further work with sustainable aviation fuels and more efficient ground operations, though specific projects have not all been detailed publicly.
What Travelers Should Expect Over the Next Few Years
For visitors planning trips to Hawaii in the near term, the most tangible changes will likely come in two waves. The first will roll out in 2026 with the debut of the updated app and website, along with visible construction and phased improvements to terminal spaces at Honolulu and other island airports. Travelers may notice temporary walls, relocated gates, and evolving signage as projects progress, alongside gradual upgrades to seating, lighting, and power access.
The second major wave will arrive around 2027 and 2028, as the new Honolulu premium lounge opens and the A330 retrofit begins. Early aircraft to receive the new cabins will offer a preview of Hawaiian’s future long haul product, with revamped premium seating, premium economy, and upgraded inflight entertainment and connectivity. During the retrofit process, the fleet will be in mixed configuration, so not every flight will immediately feature the new look, and seat maps and aircraft assignments may shift as work continues.
In parallel, integration with Alaska Airlines and oneworld will bring evolving benefits for frequent travelers. Elite members may see expanded reciprocal perks across the wider network, and residents of Hawaii could find it easier to combine interisland and mainland journeys into single, more flexible itineraries with improved options for earning and redeeming miles.
How This Reshapes Hawaiian Airlines’ Position in the Market
Strategically, the six hundred million dollar investment signals Hawaiian Airlines’ intent to remain a distinctive, competitive player in a market where both low cost carriers and global network airlines are vying for Hawaii bound traffic. By upgrading its core hubs, reinforcing its long haul fleet, and modernizing its digital tools, the airline is aiming to differentiate its offering not just on price but on a cohesive, culturally grounded travel experience.
As part of Alaska Air Group, Hawaiian also gains access to broader resources and alliance connectivity, but the Kahuʻewai plan underlines a determination to keep a strong identity rooted in the islands. For travelers, that should translate into an experience that feels increasingly modern and globally connected while still reflecting the sense of place that has long been central to the brand.
Over the next five years, visitors and residents flying with Hawaiian Airlines will be able to watch this transformation unfold in stages. From the moment they open the app to check in, through the time they spend in revitalized lobbies and a new flagship lounge, and onto upgraded A330 cabins with high speed Wi Fi, the Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan is set to touch nearly every aspect of the journey. For an airline that has been carrying guests across the Pacific for nearly a century, it marks a decisive step into its next era.