Lecture Notes: Why No Direct Flights from Europe to Hawaii?

Introduction

• Topic: Lack of direct air connectivity between Europe and Hawaii.
• Context: Despite technical capabilities, no European airlines have direct flights to Hawaii.

Statistics

• Hawaii Tourism Authority: Hundreds of thousands of European travelers visit Hawaii yearly.
• Air Connectivity: No direct flights from Europe to Honolulu or other Hawaiian airports.

Main Argument

• Barriers: Economic and logistical rather than technological.

Airline Industry Insights

• Legacy Airlines: Focus on business travelers who consistently fly and book premium cabins.
• Transatlantic Flights: High volumes of business traffic between Europe and the US.
• European Airlines: Depend on high-paying premium traffic.

Hawaiian Flight Demographic

• Tourism-Centric: Majority travel for leisure, limited business travel.
• Price-Sensitivity: Leisure travelers prefer cheaper flights with stopovers.

Current Travel Options

• Single-Stop Itineraries: Offered mainly by US carriers with connections on the US West Coast.
• Airline Alliances: European airlines rely on alliances to transfer passengers via North American partners.

Challenges of Ultra-Long-Haul Flights

• Fuel Efficiency: Aircraft are less fuel-efficient on ultra-long-haul flights.
  • More Fuel Required: More fuel needed for carrying extra fuel.
• Economic Constraints: High fuel costs make long flights economically challenging.

Technical Considerations

• Fuel Performance Studies:
  • Boeing 777-300 Analysis: Fuel consumption per passenger increases over longer distances.
  • Book Reference: Antonio Filippone's work on fuel efficiency.

Recent Developments

• Rumored Routes: Hawaiian Airlines considered non-stop routes with Airbus A330neo, but plans changed.

Conclusion

• Summary: European airlines struggle to justify non-stop routes due to economic reasons.
• Contrasting Example: Singapore Airlines' profitable New York to Singapore route due to business traffic.

Discussion

• Future Thoughts: Potential for future direct flights from Europe to Hawaii remains uncertain.

Additional Resources

• Simple Flying: Website for aviation news and insights.