The world’s largest low-cost-carrier 
Southwest Airlines, is planning to launch a brand new service connecting Sin City to the beaches of Hawaii Island. The bright blue aircraft will be deployed on services from Las Vegas 
Harry Reid International Airportt (LAS) to Hilo International Airport (ITO), taking off from August 6, 2026.
The service between Las Vegas and Hilo is planned to operate three times per week onboard the carriers Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. This will be the first time since 2023 that the Hilo will be connected to the US mainland, after United Airlines axed its non-stop link from 
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Non-Stop To Hilo
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines will connect the city of Las Vegas to Hilo in summer 2026, and will hold the monopoly, being the only airline to offer non-stop services to the contiguous United States. Southwest already has a presence at Hilo, operating intra-island services to Honolulu, alongside Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu and Kahului Airport).
Southwest will operate the thrice-weekly service on Monday, Thursday, and Friday in both directions, and marks the carrier’s fifth non-stop flight from Las Vegas to the Hawaiian Islands (alongside Honolulu, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, and Lihue). Hawaii, and Hilo remain a popular choice for American holiday makers, due to the island’s year-round warm climate, lush rainforest, and stunning black sand beaches, and waterfalls.
Adam Decaire, Southwest Airlines Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Network Operations Control, celebrated the news as relayed in the airline’s press release:
“We heard you, Hilo. Las Vegas is important to you, and you’re important to us. This service gets you faster to family and fun in Nevada where you also can access easy connections on Southwest to many of the 75 places that we serve nonstop from Las Vegas with as many 272 departures a day.”
Three Flights A Week
Travelers looking to make the most of these new non-stop services to Hilo will be able ot seamlessly connect through Las Vegas onto the new flights, with convenient times departing in both directions. The 737 MAX 8 service will follow the schedule below as per the airlines press release:
|
From |
To |
Departure Time |
Arrival Time |
Days Operated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Las Vegas |
Hilo |
9:30 am |
12:35 pm |
Monday, Thursday, Friday |
|
Hilo |
Las Vegas |
8:45 pm |
5:10 am (arrival the next day) |
Monday, Thursday, Friday |
This new service will increase connectivity, trade, and provide a boost for the local economy at both ends of the service. The route will provide additional convenience for local families located in both Las Vegas and Hilo, and while Southwest only kicked off services to the Aloha State in 2019, the airline has continued to gain momentum and presence in Hawaii. Hilo International Airport, also once known as General Lyman Field, is just one of two large airports on the island of Hawai’i, after Kona International At Keahole Airport.
Southwest continues to cement itself as an airline of choice for Hawaii-bound travelers, with the carrier recently announcing its intentions to open its first lounge at Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). The airline, which recently signed the lease for the planned lounge at the airport, will be the first of its kind for the carrier, in a bid to attract more premium and loyal travelers.
“A Network” Of Southwest Airlines Lounges Would Be “A Huge, Next Benefit,” CEO Says
The world’s largest low-cost carrier is eyeing a major expansion that could revolutionize the travel experience for its passengers.
More Choice From Las Vegas
As already mentioned, the route to Hilo will become the only non-stop service from the mainland United States and is bound to attract plenty of interest from residents in the state of Nevada and beyond. The route, which will commence in August, already complements a number of other additional services Southwest plans to launch from LAS next year.
Year-round flights are set to take off from Las Vegas to Santa Rosa from April 7, which will be followed by three new international services south of the border to Mexico, all starting on June 4 (Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and San Jose del Cabo). Hilo will become the fifth new year-round service from LAS in 2026.
Additionally, new seasonal services will take flight to Anchorage International Airport from May 15, as part of Southwest’s wider expansion to the ‘Last Frontier’. In total, by August next year, Southwest will operate a total number of 75 domestic and international year-round destinations, and warm up with two more seasonal links during peak travel times.
