Southwest airlines announces flights to Hawaii from mainland

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A1TAPE

Well-Known Member
Since they are using the 737 MAX 8 will the flights be weight restricted? I did a search on flightaware for flights to Hawaii and most if not all of them are running 767s or a330s to the islands. If that's the case then I'm guessing southwest would need to use the majority of if not all of their usable weight for fuel. They might have to limit the number of pax and cargo but it may be doable.
 
A1TAPE said:
Since they are using the 737 MAX 8 will the flights be weight restricted? I did a search on flightaware for flights to Hawaii and most if not all of them are running 767s or a330s to the islands. If that's the case then I'm guessing southwest would need to use the majority of if not all of their usable weight for fuel. They might have to limit the number of pax and cargo but it may be doable.
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Alaska runs flights to Hawaii from the west coast in 737s. Virgin America does it on A320s and A321s. I haven’t seen any numbers on 738 max performance, but I’d bet they can do it out of OAK no problem.
 
Luigi said:
Alaska runs flights to Hawaii from the west coast in 737s. Virgin America does it on A320s and A321s. I haven’t seen any numbers on 738 max performance, but I’d bet they can do it out of OAK no problem.
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Yeah. I thought United flew 739's out of SFO to Hawaii as well. Plus Westjet flies 737's to Hawaii out of YVR.
 
I know OAK-HNL is about 200 miles longer but Delta runs a 737 on the SFO-ATL route and Alaska runs their 737 on a SEA-ATL route. So if the Max 8 has even 200 more miles of range it is easily doable.
 
United and Alaska run 739s out to HNL all the time. United and Alaska run 738s to the Oscar Golf Golf airport as well.


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bbmikej said:
I know OAK-HNL is about 200 miles longer but Delta runs a 737 on the SFO-ATL route and Alaska runs their 737 on a SEA-ATL route. So if the Max 8 has even 200 more miles of range it is easily doable.
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SFO-ATL and SEA-ATL are not ETOPs so it's not in any remotely comparable, the fuel requirements are much lower (and you don't have to run the APU the entire time... I dunno if the MAX will need to, but it's a legit question.)
I assume the fact WN is doing this means they think they have the range however, and I've flown on Alaska air SEA-HNL a bajillion times, as well as SJC-HNL and SMF-HNL, so it's not too much of a stretch from the west coast for some of the 737s that are optioned correctly. I have heard of payload restrictions mostly departing like LIH where you have a ton of gas, it's hot and the runway is only 6500 ft...
 
Dphoenix said:
SFO-ATL and SEA-ATL are not ETOPs so it's not in any remotely comparable, the fuel requirements are much lower (and you don't have to run the APU the entire time... I dunno if the MAX will need to, but it's a legit question.)
I assume the fact WN is doing this means they think they have the range however, and I've flown on Alaska air SEA-HNL a bajillion times, as well as SJC-HNL and SMF-HNL, so it's not too much of a stretch from the west coast for some of the 737s that are optioned correctly. I have heard of payload restrictions mostly departing like LIH where you have a ton of gas, it's hot and the runway is only 6500 ft...
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Yep. Often times the limiting factor is required ETOPS fuel, or sometimes in the case of a SEA-HNL flight, tank capacity and ETOPS gas. West coast to anywhere in Hawaii is always a challenge when the wrong aircraft is on the route.
 
Going to Hawaii will mean 30 + 10% reserves. If the winds aloft are strong, the military using a lot of airspace or a Hurricane then straight 10% reserves will be difficult. I wonder how the SWA Dispatch system will be programed in ordered to re-dispatches? Its a system that was set up mostly with domestic flying in mind. It is not just the ETOPS alternate and ETOPS fuel that needs to be learned but also how to properly set up and send out the re-dispatches. If you have SATCOM its easy but it you have an HF only aircraft or SATCOM inop then you will need to go through ARINC to do your re-dispatches.
 
The thing with redispatches that I dont get is, you have the fuel in the tanks that you took off and haven't burned so far. You cant ADD fuel to the tanks midair (unless Boeing has come up with a customer option for mid-air refueling ;)) So what do in air redispatches do? Do they say you can make it to this airport and here is how much fuel you will burn.
 
Flagship_dxer said:
Going to Hawaii will mean 30 + 10% reserves. If the winds aloft are strong, the military using a lot of airspace or a Hurricane then straight 10% reserves will be difficult. I wonder how the SWA Dispatch system will be programed in ordered to re-dispatches? Its a system that was set up mostly with domestic flying in mind. It is not just the ETOPS alternate and ETOPS fuel that needs to be learned but also how to properly set up and send out the re-dispatches. If you have SATCOM its easy but it you have an HF only aircraft or SATCOM inop then you will need to go through ARINC to do your re-dispatches.
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What airports do you use for redispatching between the west coast and Hawaii?

A1TAPE said:
The thing with redispatches that I dont get is, you have the fuel in the tanks that you took off and haven't burned so far. You cant ADD fuel to the tanks midair (unless Boeing has come up with a customer option for mid-air refueling ;)) So what do in air redispatches do? Do they say you can make it to this airport and here is how much fuel you will burn.
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Have you started classes yet? Redispatches come a ways down curriculum usually. If at all. Just chill and wait till you get there. Should be clearer the
 
McCrosky said:
What airports do you use for redispatching between the west coast and Hawaii?
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You could re-dispatch back to your departure airport (do it all the time out of ANC going to Asia) but is the flight time from the west coast to HNL enough to justify a re-dispatch. I've never dispatched a 737 before so I can't speak to that.
 
who'swho said:
You could re-dispatch back to your departure airport (do it all the time out of ANC going to Asia) but is the flight time from the west coast to HNL enough to justify a re-dispatch. I've never dispatched a 737 before so I can't speak to that.
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I suppose. I’ve never worked 737, but out 767s from the west coast to have so much fuel added for the ETOPS requirements that lowering the 10% is pointless you just have to add more ETOPS fuel

I’m just curious if they know it’s a 2000+ NM flight and they can’t atop 6 times in the way.
 
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