Southwest Airlines Hawaii Flights Likely to Be Delayed Months

Travelers will likely have to wait a few more months to fly Southwest Airlines to Hawaii due to certification delays resulting from the ongoing government shutdown.

According to USA Today, airline executives finally revealed a timetable on Thursday, with Southwest's Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven saying there's a "reasonable chance'' of the low-cost carrier beginning service by end of March if the shutdown ends within a week.

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However, if the shutdown—which began back on December 22—drags on longer than that he said the second quarter of 2019 (April-June) is the soonest flights would likely begin.

Southwest originally planned to begin selling tickets for Hawaii by late 2018 with flights debuting in early 2019.

"Hawaii remains our expansion focus for 2019 and we are in the final phase of obtaining authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Extended Operations (ETOPS) to operate between California and the Hawaiian Islands," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said on Thursday's fourth-quarter earnings call.

"Our remaining work is currently suspended until the government reopens and the FAA is allowed to resume normal certification activities. We are well-prepared to perform the next steps in the ETOPS application process. We are anxious for the government to resolve this shutdown so we can bring low fares and a boost to Hawaii's travel and tourism industry," he added.

The airline also said that the shutdown has cost it an estimated $10 million to $15 million in lost revenue as furloughed government employees and contractors have been forced to scrap travel plans.