Reopening: Flights From San Jose International Airport To Recently-Reopened Hawaii Resume
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Flights between Mineta San Jose International Airport and Hawaii have resumed just in time for the holidays and after the state has reopened to tourists for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airport officials said service between the Silicon Valley and the Aloha State began on Sunday, with Alaska Airlines resuming flights to Kona on the Big Island and Lihue on Kauai. The next day, the airline resumed service to Maui.
On Monday, Hawaiian Airlines resumed its San Jose service, with flights to and from Honolulu. Meanwhile on Thursday, Southwest Airlines will resume flights from San Jose to Honolulu, Maui and Lihue.
"As we continue to show signs of recovery, we look forward to safely welcoming back more flights and providing our passengers with expanded travel options," said John Aitken, the airport's Director of Aviation.
Additional flights set to resume in the coming weeks include Hawaiian Airlines service to Maui (November 18), Alaska Airlines service to Honolulu (December 2) and Southwest Airlines to Kona (December 6).
Flights between the Bay Area and Hawaii resumed last month at San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport, after the pandemic forced the shutdown of the tourism industry for several months. Travelers to Hawaii must have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure to avoid a 14-day-quarantine upon arrival.