New nonstop to Hawaii’s Big Island

Alaska Airlines, which has added a number of new routes here in recent years, will now inaugurate nonstop service between San Diego and the Big Island of Hawaii in March.

Starting March 5, Alaska will operate the new flights three times weekly -- Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays -- to Kona. Those are in addition to the airline's already existing flights to Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

In debuting the nonstop service, Alaska is offering an introductory fare of $219 one way for tickets purchased by Tuesday and used between March 5 and June 6, 2015. Only Monday and Thursday flights are included in the introductory fare sale.

In the last several years, Alaska has rapidly expanded its nonstop routes serving San Diego. Where in 2009 there were just three cities it was flying to from San Diego, there will now be 16 come March.

A number of new flights were added in 2012, with the start of nonstop service to Fresno, Monterey and Santa Rosa, as well as to Orlando, Fla. And the following year, the airline debuted its service to Boston, Kauai, Los Cabos and Maui. It also opened a large flight attendant base here at Lindbergh Field to accommodate its growing San Diego presence.

“We’re growing and adding flights in important West Coast markets to give our customers more opportunities to explore the great places we fly,” said Joe Sprague, the airline’s senior vice president of communications. “We are thrilled to bring the white sand beaches, black lava fields and unique Polynesian culture of Kona and Hawaii’s Big Island to our San Diego customers.”

With Alaska's current schedule, it operates 153 flights each week, not counting the new Hawaii flights.

The Kona flights will depart San Diego every Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 5:55 p.m. and will leave out of Kona at 9 a.m.