Hawaiian Airlines signed letters of intent to acquire four more wide-body Boeing 767-300 aircraft, bringing its total long-haul fleet to 18 jets. The four 767-300 aircraft were previously operated by Delta Air Lines, which rejected leases on these aircraft as part of its Chapter 11 reorganization. The new acquisitions will be overhauled and outfitted in Hawaiian's standard interior configuration, including 18 first-class seats and 242 coach seats. The airline said it would announce the schedule for introducing the jets at a later date. The letters of intent to acquire the jets are subject to certain closing conditions. Separately, the Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that Hawaiian Airlines reportedly has filed a lawsuit to block Mesa Air Group's entry into the inter-island market for two years, alleging the low-cost carrier improperly used confidential financial and marketing business data it received when Hawaiian was in bankruptcy. Phoenix-based Mesa is expected to start flying inter-island routes in April or May with one-way fares reportedly as low as $43. Mesa was among the companies that initially considered acquiring Hawaiian during its bankruptcy reorganization. Hawaiian emerged from bankruptcy last year. Mesa says Hawaiian fears competition.
