Southwest Airlines’ plans for its first-ever service from the Mainland to Hawai‘i is inching closer to becoming reality.Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said the airlines completed its final verification flight—part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) requirements—on Feb. 21.
News sources reported that the FAA did give Kelly a verbal ETOPS authorization soon after that final verification flight was completed.
A Southwest spokesperson was said to have confirmed as much on Wednesday, Feb. 27, saying that the airline is waiting for its final “report card” in writing from the FAA on the entire ETOPS application.
Only after Southwest receives its written report card can it start selling tickets and announce a schedule of flights to Hawai‘i.
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News sources have reported that a written report card usually shows up within 48 hours after verbal authorization is received.
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