Hawaiian Airlines restarting flights to Cook Islands

Hawaiian Airlines will reconnect weekly flights between Honolulu and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands next year and market the new route to its North American gateway cities, including Las Vegas.

The service will launch May 20 and tickets will go on sale Dec. 7.

Flights will leave Honolulu at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and arrive in Rarotonga at 10:25 p.m. the same day. The return flights will depart Rarotonga at 11:35 p.m. on Sundays with a 5:50 a.m. Monday arrival in Honolulu.

The new flights to the Cook Islands renews Hawaiian Airlines’ service there, which operated between 1987 and 1993.

The airline will use twin-engine Airbus A321neo jets on the route.

Hawaiian currently operates 18 nonstop flights a week between Harry Reid International Airport and Honolulu International Airport.

“We are delighted to grow our South Pacific network by offering our guests access to the Cook Islands, an archipelago that shares Hawaii’s Polynesian roots and natural beauty,” said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.