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Hawaiian Holdings' (HA) Arm to Restart Oakland-Kona Service

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In order to boost summer air travel, Hawaiian Holdings’ (HA - Free Report) subsidiary, Hawaiian Airlines, announced that it will resume non-stop service between Oakland (OAK) and Kona (KOA) on the Island of Hawaii (last operated in the summer of 2016). The airline’s OAK -KOA service will begin on Jun 15 and operate through Sep 6.

This route will become Hawaiian Airlines’ fourth daily service, connecting Oakland and the islands, joining existing non-stop service between OAK and Honolulu, Kahului on Maui, and L??hu'e on Kaua'i.  The senior vice president of network planning and revenue management at Hawaiian Airlines, Brent Overbeek, stated, “The Kona Coast has been an increasingly popular destination for Bay Area travelers, and we are pleased to once again offer our Oakland guests convenient non-stop service to the Island of Hawaii”.

With air-travel demand improving, the carrier’s decision to restart service on the above route seems to be prudent and may attract significant traffic, once operational. Additional traffic will boost the top line.

Apart from this, a second daily flight between San Francisco and Honolulu will begin on May 15 and operate through Aug 1. HA’s arm will also start a daily non-stop flight between Los Angeles and Maui from Jun 11 and operate through Aug 15.

Passengers will enjoy the carrier’s warm hospitality on board a modern, quiet and fuel-efficient Airbus A321neo narrow-body aircraft featuring 16 luxurious leather recliners, 44 Extra Comfort seats and 128 main cabin seats.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Hawaiian Holdings carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Transportation sector are J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT - Free Report) , Union Pacific Corporation (UNP - Free Report) and Triton International Limited .

The long-term expected EPS (three to five years) growth rate for J.B. Hunt is pegged at 15%. JBHT is benefiting from strong performances across all its segments. While the Dedicated Contract Services (DCS) unit is aided by fleet-productivity improvement and a rise in average revenue-producing trucks, the Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) unit is gaining from favorable customer freight mix as well as higher contractual and spot rates.

JBHT’s measures to reward shareholders are encouraging. Driven by the tailwinds, the stock has increased 24.4% in the past year. J.B. Hunt currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The long-term expected EPS (three to five years) growth rate for Union Pacific is pegged at 10%. With economic activities gaining pace, freight revenues (accounting for a bulk of the top line) are improving. Freight revenues increased 11% year over year in 2021. Segment-wise, freight revenues in 2021 increased 12%, 11% and 11% in the bulk, industrial and premium units, respectively.

Driven by the tailwinds, the stock has increased 23.5% in the past year. UNP currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

The long-term expected EPS (three to five years) growth rate for Triton is pegged at 10%. Gradual increases in trade volumes and container demand bode well for the company. With easing coronavirus-led restrictions in the United States and Europe, the company saw a strong rebound in its business in the third, the fourth of 2020 as well as in each of the four quarters of 2021.

Driven by the tailwinds, the stock has increased 7.1% in the past year. TRTN currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
 

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