Hawaiian Airlines restores flights to Cook Islands

Hawaiian Airlines will reconnect with the Cook Islands starting May 20 with a weekly flight between Honolulu and Rarotonga.

The state’s largest carrier, which will use a 189-seat Airbus A321neo on the route, previously served the Cook Islands from 1987 through 1993.

“As a 93-year-old destination airline committed to sustainability, Hawaiian Airlines is a perfect partner for the Cook Islands,” Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said in a statement. “We welcome this timely announcement from Hawaiian Airlines, as we look to rebuild our tourism industry and strengthen access to our northern hemisphere markets.”

Brown said inbound tourism is a key economic driver for the country.

“To reach our potential we need access from the larger international markets,” Brown said. “Hawaiian’s Honolulu-Rarotonga service connects us to Los Angeles, the Pacific Northwest, and many other large U.S. Mainland cities.”

Ticket sales for the Rarotonga service will begin Dec. 7 on HawaiianAirlines.com and other third-party distribution channels. Flight HA495 will depart Honolulu at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and arrive in Rarotonga at 10:25 p.m. the same day. The return flight, HA496, will depart Rarotonga at 11:35 p.m. on Sundays with a 5:50 a.m. Monday arrival in Honolulu.

“We are delighted to grow our South Pacific network by offering our guests access to the Cook Islands, an archipelago that shares Hawai‘i’s Polynesian roots and natural beauty,” Hawaiian President and CEO Peter Ingram said in a statement. “This service greatly expands travel opportunities between the Cook Islands and the United States, thanks to our well-timed connections and robust network, including service between Hawai‘i and eight California cities.”

Cook Islands has no more vaccination requirements and no quarantine or isolation on arrival.

More information on the Cook Islands can be found at cookislands.travel.