Southwest: Aloha To Hawaii Next Year?

(RTTNews) - Southwest Airlines plans to announce flights to Hawaii next year, which will fulfil a long-standing demand from destination travelers.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, in Phoenix on Wednesday for Southwest's annual shareholders meeting, said flights to Hawaii are a high priority for the airline.

"We're deciding what our plans are for 2018 and Hawaii is important to us,'' Kelly said in a meeting with reporters after the shareholder event in downtown Phoenix.

Kelly said Southwest requires to take several steps to prepare for the launch of Hawaii service, including Federal Aviation Administration certification for flights over the Pacific, flight crew training and technology support.