Honolulu, HI – If you’re planning an exotic ski vacation this winter to the resorts on Japan’s North Island of Hokkaido, why not also spend a couple of days en route in the tropical sun of the Hawaiian islands?

Hawaiian Airlines on Tuesday launched its inaugural flight from Honolulu to Sapporo, Japan, and restored nonstop service between the two cities that had been discontinued by other carriers nine years earlier. Passengers of the inaugural flight enjoyed a festive island-style send-off at Honolulu International Airport before boarding, featuring Hawaiian music and hula, a traditional Hawaiian blessing, presentation of fresh flower lei, and a special performance honoring the Japanese culture.

“We are delighted to be restoring the convenience of nonstop service to Hawai’i for travelers in Hokkaido and look forward to bringing increasing numbers of visitors from the region to our island home,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO. “At the same time, we know that many of our customers in Hawai’i and North America with an affinity for Japan will take the opportunity of this new service to experience the unique sites and cultural attractions of northern Japan.”

The capital city of the island of Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest and northernmost island, Sapporo is Japan’s fourth-largest city with a population of 1.9 million. Sapporo is renowned for its ski resorts – the city hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics – and the world-famous Sapporo Snow Festival, which annually attracts millions of visitors each February to see its spectacular snow and ice sculptures. Hokkaido is also home to other resorts choked with cold, dry powder, including the famed slopes of Niseko.

Hawaiian’s Honolulu-Sapporo service is adding 41,000 new air seats to the market annually and the benefit to Hawai’i’s visitor industry will be significant, according to the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.

“Today’s launch of Hawaiian Airlines’ new Sapporo route is great news for Hawai’i’s tourism economy and will generate an estimated $61 million in visitor spending and $6.7 million in state tax revenue,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawai’i Tourism Authority. “The flight will also provide residents of Hokkaido with its only direct access to Hawai’i. We remain committed to working with Hawaiian Airlines to ensure the success of this flight and providing visitors greater accessibility to our state.”

Hawaiian’s Flight HA 441 departs Honolulu International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 2:45 p.m., crosses the international dateline, and arrives at Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport at 7 p.m. the following day. The return flight HA 442 departs Sapporo on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 9:30 p.m., crosses the international dateline, and arrives in Honolulu at 9:55 a.m. the same day.

Hawaiian will operate its Honolulu-Sapporo flights on its wide-body, twin-aisle Boeing 767-300ER aircraft seating 264 passengers, with 18 in Business Class and 246 in the main cabin.