{{short description|Airline route from Hawaii to Guam}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}}
[[File:United Boeing 737-8 MAX N27263 on final approach to Boston Feb 2025 1.jpg|thumb|United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8, similar to those operated on the route]]
The '''Island Hopper''' is an airline route between Guam, a United States territory, and Honolulu, Hawaii, a U.S. state, via several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, both of which are in free association with the United States under Compacts of Free Association.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-united-island-hopper-seven-islands-20-hours-one-plane|title=The United Island Hopper: Seven Islands, 20 Hours, One Plane|last=Drescher|first=Cynthia|work=Condé Nast Traveler|access-date=August 11, 2018|language=en}}</ref> The route has operated since 1968 and is currently operated by United Airlines, having originally been served by Air Micronesia and Continental Micronesia. It provides the only scheduled air service for many of the islands visited en route.
The flight also serves as a cargo link for the islands, transporting food supplies in insulated containers as well as mail.<ref name="CNN" />
The route also presents unique operational challenges. The route is flown using a subfleet of ten Boeing 737-800 aircraft (scheduled to be replaced with the 737 MAX 8 by the end of 2026) based in Guam, where they receive specialized maintenance. Flights carry extra crew members as well as a mechanic and spare parts, and the aircraft are configured to accommodate medical stretcher transport.
==History== The Island Hopper route was launched in 1968<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Dwyer |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pacific-island-hopper/index.html |title=Pacific Island Hopper: The world's most scenic flight? |date=December 4, 2018 |publisher=CNN Travel}}</ref> as Air Micronesia, when Continental Airlines CEO Robert F. Six invested in Dominic P. Renda's vision making him CEO of the new airline, Air Micronesia believing that operating in this area could be profitable despite its remoteness.<ref name="AWSJ" /> It initially operated as Continental Micronesia Flight 957 up to six days a week.<ref name="AWSJ">{{cite news |first=Scott |last=McCartney |title=Airstrip Sunbathers and Fuel Snags: It's Another Day for Flight |publisher=Asian Wall Street Journal |date=October 29, 1996 |page=2A}}</ref> At one point, the route was flown by Boeing 727s and had seven stops, one more than the current route. Between June 18, 1969<ref>{{cite news |first=William B. Jr. |last=Martin |title=Continental marks 40 years |publisher=Pacific Daily News |date=May 17, 2008}}</ref> and 1970, the route also stopped at Johnston Atoll. In winter of 1993/1994, Continental Micronesia flew the Island Hopper route three times a week but two of the three weekly flights did not stop at Johnston Atoll.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2023 |title=Hawaii NW93 / NW23 Pacific Islands Network Overview |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/231011-hnlnw23 |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=AeroRoutes |language=en-CA}}</ref> This stop was discontinued when plans were made to ship and store chemical munitions on the atoll. The aircraft used in this service were equipped with special tires and a unique coating on the belly of the aircraft to protect the fuselage from flying rocks on the runway. They were also fitted with more powerful engines to improve takeoff performance.<ref name="AWSJ" /> [[File:Continental Micronesia (Continental Airlines) Boeing 727-224-Adv N69741 (25350448864).jpg|thumb|Continental Micronesia Boeing 727 at Chuuk in 1997]] In April 1998, the route was reduced to twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, and dropped Wednesdays service. By October 1999, the airline restored Wednesday flights but this flight skipped Chuuk for about 6 months due to the airport's runway construction.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lloyd |last=Jojola |title=Island-hopper returns to 3 flights a week |publisher=Pacific Daily News |date=October 6, 1999 |page=A2}}</ref> In 2011, the Island Hopper left Guam on Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 am and arrived at Honolulu at 4:00 am. Wednesday flights departed Guam at 10:30 am, bypassed Kosrae, and arrived at Honolulu also at 4:00 am. On the return trip, the flights left Honolulu on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5:50 am. Monday and Friday flights arrived in Guam on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 4:26 pm while Wednesday flights arrived in Guam on Thursday at 3:06 pm as they skipped Kosrae.<ref>{{cite news |title=Continental Airlines releases new Island Hopper Schedule |publisher=States News Service |date=October 27, 2010}}</ref>
The Island Hopper route was a major contributor to the financial success of Continental Airlines' Micronesia unit in 1995.<ref name="AWSJ" /> Round-trip airfare between Honolulu and Guam costs US$960 and one-stop island hop costs US$225 roundtrip in 1996.<ref name="AWSJ" /> In 2008, the route accounted for 30% of Continental Micronesia's business.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/06/02/story3.html|title='Air Mike' a rare bright spot in local aviation|date=June 1, 2008|website=Pacific Business News|access-date=August 11, 2018}}</ref>
In 2012, Continental merged into United, who continued flying this route.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, service was reduced to around one flight monthly carrying cargo due to travel bans on islands on the route.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 16, 2020|title=As COVID-19 cases climb in the U.S., there are still none in the Marshall Islands|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-07-16/as-covid-19-cases-climb-in-the-u-s-there-are-still-none-in-the-marshall-islands|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Current operations==
The route is flown using a subfleet of ten Boeing 737-800 aircraft dedicated to United's Guam base, where they receive specialized maintenance attention tailored to the demands of the Island Hopper service.<ref name="United" /> By the end of 2026, these aircraft are scheduled to be replaced by a subfleet of ten Boeing 737 MAX 8s equipped with seatback entertainment screens and Starlink-based satellite Wi-Fi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2026 |title=United Airlines Rolls Out New Boeing 737 MAX 8 Fleet in Guam |url=https://www.united.com/en/us/newsroom/announcements/cision-125447 |access-date=March 24, 2026 |website=United Airlines}}</ref> The 737s assigned to the Island Hopper are modified so that the forward rows of economy class can be collapsed and a privacy curtain installed to accommodate patients on stretchers being transported to or from hospitals on Guam or Honolulu.<ref name="United">{{Cite news |date=May 23, 2017 |title=Short Runways, Quick Turns, Wide Smiles: Island Hopper Is 'Lifeline' to Remote Communities |url=https://hub.united.com/united-island-hopper-serves-lifeline-2417909306.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725175947/https://hub.united.com/united-island-hopper-serves-lifeline-2417909306.html |archive-date=July 25, 2017 |access-date=August 11, 2018 |work=United Hub |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=United Transforms Customer Experience in Guam with New Boeing 737 MAX 8 Fleet, Upgraded Lobby |url=https://united.mediaroom.com/2025-09-24-United-Transforms-Customer-Experience-in-Guam |access-date=November 21, 2025 |website=United - Newsroom}}</ref> Two seats in First Class are equipped with extra recline so that they may serve as a crew rest area.
Because of the remoteness of the islands served, each flight carries a specially trained mechanic along with a supply of commonly needed spare parts between Guam and Majuro. This enables basic repairs to be performed on the islands if needed; otherwise, passengers and crew would have to wait for a rescue aircraft from Honolulu or Guam, as many stops offer limited infrastructure and few overnight accommodations.<ref name="CNN" /><ref name="United" />
The flight operates with four pilots, two fly the leg between Honolulu and Majuro and the other pair fly the remaining legs.<ref name="CNN" /> The flight is also staffed by five flight attendants, one more than typically required for a Boeing 737-800, who receive crew duty time exemption from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However even with the exemption, the length of the operation leaves little margin for delays. Minor disruptions can cause the crew to exceed duty limits ("time out"), requiring a replacement crew to be flown in from Honolulu or Guam. After completing the eastbound flight, the Guam-based flight attendants typically receive two days of rest in Honolulu before operating the westbound return journey.<ref name="United" />
Along the route, most airports have short runways and the aircraft is operated with rapid turnarounds, so to cool the aircraft’s brakes and tires after landing, airports use fans and firefighting trucks spray water.<ref name="CNN" /><ref name="United" />
== Current route == United Airlines operates the service three times weekly as Flight 155 from Guam to Honolulu and as Flight 154 in the opposite direction. From west to east, the airports served are: {| class="wikitable" | colspan="4" |600px|frameless|center|island hopper route |- ! Airport !! Location !! IATA !! ICAO |- | Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport || Guam, U.S. || GUM || PGUM |- | Chuuk International Airport || Weno, Chuuk, Micronesia || TKK || PTKK |- | Pohnpei International Airport || Pohnpei, Micronesia || PNI || PTPN |- | Kosrae International Airport (2 × weekly) || Kosrae, Micronesia || KSA || PTSA |- | Bucholz Army Airfield || Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands || KWA || PKWA |- | Marshall Islands International Airport || Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands || MAJ || PKMJ |- | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport || Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. || HNL || PHNL |}
The total time from Honolulu to Guam, including time on the ground, is 16 hours.<ref name="CNN" /> It takes 4.5 hours to fly from Honolulu to Majuro (the longest segment),<ref>{{cite book |last=Hanauer |first=Eric |date=2001 |title=Diving Micronesia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GfLnsFNG99YC |publisher=Aqua Quest Publications |page=13 |isbn=1-881652-19-X}}</ref> followed by a 45-minute flight from Majuro to Kwajalein. From Kwajalein to Kosrae, the flight takes one hour. Kosrae to Pohnpei flight takes another hour. From Pohnpei, it takes 70 minutes to fly to Chuuk. The final leg, from Chuuk to Guam, takes 90 minutes.<ref name="CNN" />
Passengers may disembark and reboard at each stop or remain on the aircraft with the exception of Kwajalein, where passengers are prohibited from leaving the aircraft unless they have prior authorization from the U.S. government, as the atoll is an active military installation served via Bucholz Army Airfield. Photography and videography there are also restricted.<ref name="CNN" /> Ground times at each stop are 45 minutes at Majuro, 39 minutes at Kwajalein, 33 minutes at Kosrae, 34 minutes at Pohnpei and 34 minutes at Chuuk.
Upon arrival in Guam it is possible to connect to United Airlines "Manila Hopper" flight which flies to Manila, Philippines with a similar brief stop in Koror, Palau.
==See also== * Milk run
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{coord missing|Micronesia}}
Category:Airline routes Category:United Airlines