Hawaiian Airlines is preparing to launch flights between Seattle and Seoul, South Korea in the coming months and we now have details about the timing and equipment being utilized on those flights.
Why Hawaiian is Operating Flights Between Seattle and Seoul
If you haven’t been following aviation news closely over the last few months, the idea of a Hawaii based carrier launching flights between Washington state and South Korea may be somewhat confusing. However, there is a simple, yet somewhat illogical, explanation for this.
In September 2024, Alaska Air Group, parent company of Alaska Airlines, acquired Hawaiian Airlines. The two airlines operate wildly different fleets, with Hawaiian operating narrowbody Airbus jets as well as Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A330s on long haul routes. Alaska on the other hand is an all Boeing 737 operator, similar to Southwest Airlines.
As part of the acquisition, Alaska Air Group indicated that they plan to leave the two groups as separate brands for the foreseeable future. Which is how you end up with Hawaiian Airlines flying between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN).
Before we dive in to the details of the new flight, I think Alaska Air Group will eventually reconsider the dual brand strategy and end up consolidating under a single, revamped brand. Alaska Airlines is already an odd name for a company headquartered in Seattle.
Hawaiian Airlines Seattle to Seoul Flight Information
Hawaiian initially plans to offer the service 5x weekly using Airbus A330-200 aircraft which are outfitted with 18 Business Class and 260 Economy seats. Flights will operate westbound on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and will fly eastbound on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Flights are expected to operate on the following schedule:
| Route | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| SEA-ICN | 3:25p | 6:50p (+1) |
| ICN-SEA | 8:50p | 3:00p |
Flights are scheduled to commence on September 12, 2025 and will operate year-round. Tickets for the flights are available for booking via alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com.
Hawaiian’s A330s are configured for leisure flying to and from the Hawaiian islands and Business Class is outfitted in a 2-2-2 configuration which isn’t great. The 2-4-2 layout in Economy on the other hand is great for passengers.
Alaska has been locked in a fierce battle with Delta in Seattle in recent years and, as the airline looks to expand its long-haul flying, it will compete head to head with the Atlanta based carrier on the route. Delta operates its flagship Airbus A350 outfitted with Delta One suites between Seattle and Seoul. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines also operate the route nonstop.
While I think Alaska/Hawaiian is fighting an uphill battle with these flights, Andrew Harrison, Chief Commercial Officer at Alaska Airlines, said this regarding the new service:
“With our robust network, we can connect our guests through our global gateway in Seattle for convenient nonstop service to Seoul and Tokyo, with additional connections to other Asian destinations with our global partners, including fellow oneworld member Japan Airlines. As we grow our global network from Seattle in the coming years, we’ll announce new international routes to dynamic destinations that we know our guests are going to love to visit.”
While I believe that Alaska/Hawaiian is fighting an uphill battle with long-haul service out of Seattle, the combined carrier has indicated that it plans to introduce the much ore competitive Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route at a later date.
Summary
Alaska Airlines announced today that its sister company, Hawaiian Airlines, will be launching flights between Seattle and Seoul beginning on September 12, 2025. The flight will face some stiff competition as three other carriers currently serve the SEA-ICN route.
(Images courtesy Lorenz von Schimonsky, you can find more of his work on Instagram at @abia.spotter)