Delta Air Lines delayed the launch of daily nonstop service between the Twin Cities and Honolulu to more closely match the peak winter travel season, the airline said Friday.
Instead of offering direct daily flights on Oct. 25, Delta will instead start them on Nov. 19. The service will continue until March 26, 2016, when Minnesotans will then revert to reaching Hawaii via connecting flights on the West Coast.
"We made adjustments to our Honolulu service to align with demand from the community during the peak winter travel period," said airline spokeswoman Liz Savadelis.
After the Nov. 19 kickoff, the daily nonstop service to Hawaii will be the first out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport since 2011, three years after Delta acquired Northwest Airlines, which previously provided daily nonstop flights.
Between Oct. 25 and Nov. 19, Delta will provide twice-weekly nonstop service to Honolulu on Thursdays and Saturdays.
According to Plymouth-based Travel Leaders, Hawaiian destinations include three of the 15 most popular domestic destinations for Minnesotans. Maui ranks second behind Orlando, while Honolulu is fifth and Kauai is tied for 12th with Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
David Phelps
