Southwest Airlines is still planning to start selling tickets for Hawaii before the end of the year, with flights scheduled to begin soon after, executives said Thursday.

The airline remains silent on the key details travelers are looking for, including dates, prices and initial routes.

But company officials spoke more about Hawaii than the airline's quarterly earnings quarterly conference call, suggesting it is confident that regulatory approval is near. Southwest has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration for over a year to obtain certification for long flights over water.

Southwest says its facilities, equipment, staff and flight schedule for Hawaii are ready to go. The airline will open a base of pilots and flight attendants in Los Angeles in December, in part to provide flight management for Hawaii.

"We are really bitching," said Southwest President Tom Nealon.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said Southwest would start selling tickets within days of receiving the so-called FAA ETOPS certification.

The first southwestern flights to Hawaii could be launched in the coming weeks, although the timing depends on the timing.

"We do not want to start flying on Christmas Day (a slow day of travel), for example," said Kelly.

Southwest Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven said Southwest had made "steady progress" in the FAA certification process and completed key reviews and revisions of its operations and maintenance manuals. . The certification process now goes to a "demonstration phase," with exercises and "validation" flights with FAA officials.

Southwest Airlines has spoken little about its new flights to Hawaii, which will account for half of its growth in 2019, since the announcement of the final commissioning project a year ago. Travelers who earn loyalty points in the Southwest for a dream trip to Hawaii press the airline daily on social media for more details.

Representatives usually have the same answer: stay tuned.

Southwest has unveiled some details of its service in Hawaii this year.

In April, the airline announced plans to serve four Hawaii destinations: Oahu, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii and Kauai.

In May, the airline announced that the first non-stop flights to Hawaii would come from four California cities: San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland.

Ticket prices to Hawaii have declined in the last two months, with round-trip fares of $ 300 or less on some routes due to increased competition.

The leaders of their competitors Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines were asked about the tariff war and, indirectly, about competition between Southwest and their teleconferences on financial results this week. Both airlines claimed to be well positioned in Hawaii and praised, among other things, their in-flight amenities and other Southwest features. Southwest famously does not assign or serve meals and does not offer first class or business class sections.

Kelly was asked Thursday whether low ticket prices had changed Southwest's financial expectations for Hawaii.

"No," he said insolently. "We are very happy about Hawaii."

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