Hawaiian to Expand Pre-Clearance Travel Program

Travelling internationally to Hawai´i via Hawaiian Airlines is about to get easier for two major Asian markets.

Hawaiian announced Monday it is expanding its pre-clearance program in Japan and to South Korea, making it more convenient for international travelers to visit and safely enjoy the state of Hawai‘i.

Hawaiian became the first airline flying between Japan and Hawai‘i to offer its Pre-Clear Program when it launched the service at Narita International Airport (NRT) over the weekend. The program, which will expand to Kansai International Airport (KIX) on Thursday, allows guests who meet Hawai‘i’s pre-travel testing requirements to bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine and additional airport screening in Honolulu by having their documents verified before boarding.

Pre-Clear starts Friday at Incheon International Airport (ICN) at an opportune time: Hawaiian recently added a second weekly flight between Honolulu (HNL) and ICN to meet increased demand.

“Expanding our Pre-Clear Program to Japan and South Korea simplifies the travel experience for our international guests so they can spend less time at the airport and more time vacationing or doing business in Hawai‘i,” said Theo Panagiotoulias, senior vice president for global sales and alliances at Hawaiian Airlines. “We look forward to working with the State of Hawai‘i to expand the program to more markets, and to continue building back travel to Hawai‘i in a way that is safe for visitors and our community.”

Hawaiian’s guests from Japan and South Korea who participate in the Pre-Clear Program will receive a Pre-Clear wristband from a Hawaiian Airlines guest service agent who will verify their documents prior to boarding. To qualify for pre-clearance, guests must complete the following steps:

• Create a Safe Travels account for every adult on the itinerary.
• Add all flight and lodging information to the account.
• Complete the mandatory health questionnaire within the account.
• Upload a negative test result (PDF format) from a state-approved testing partner to the Safe Travels account. Carrying a printed copy of the negative test results is also recommended.

Travelers whose negative COVID-19 test results are not uploaded to the Safe Travels app prior to departure will be required to sign the state of Hawai‘i’s 10-day self-quarantine agreement upon arriving in the state.