Hawaiian Airlines just added 4 new routes to the US mainland as demand for travel to the islands explodes during the pandemic - here's the full list

• Hawaiian Airlines is growing its route network to the mainland United States in 2021 with more non-stop flights to the Lower 48.
• Florida, California, and Texas will receive the new routes starting in March.
• Demand for travel to Hawaii has spiked during the pandemic as one of the few tropical locales open to Americans with a negative COVID-19 test.

Hawaiian Airlines is expanding its footprint on the US mainland with new routes across the 48 contiguous states in 2021.

Four destinations will receive new non-stop service to Hawaiian cities, with three receiving their only direct links to the island state. California will see most of the expansion, but the East Coast will also get an additional link to the islands. Only a handful of cities east of the Mississippi currently offer direct flights to Hawaii without a connection.

Hawaii has become a popular travel destination during the pandemic as one of the few tropical locales outside of the mainland open to Americans. Most vacation destinations in the archipelagic state are allowing visitors, provided they receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within 72 hours of departure, according to the state.

Demand for Hawaii travel has also prompted airlines to establish pre-flight testing facilities on the mainland. American Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines all offering the service for a fee.

Hawaiian Airlines plans to relaunch some of its longest routes in response to the demand including Honolulu-New York and Honolulu-Boston in December, the latter is longest in its route network as well as the longest domestic flight in the US.

Here's where Hawaiian Airlines is expanding in 2021:

Between Honolulu and Orlando

Hawaiian will begin flying to Orlando on March 11, 2021, with twice-weekly flights using the carrier's two-class configured Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which has 278 seats split between first and economy classes. The 4,133-nautical mile route will see flights in the eastbound direction on Thursdays and Sundays, followed by westbound return flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The new route will be the only non-stop link between Hawaii and Orlando, as well as the first link between Hawaii and Florida. Hawaii-bound passengers from Florida - and those going the other way - typically have to connect in cities like Los Angeles, Dallas, or San Francisco when flying, meaning extra hours on the already long journey.

Flying times in the westbound direction are scheduled for just under nine hours while the westbound direction is a bit longer at about 11 hours.

Between Honolulu and Austin

Hawaiian will begin flying to Austin on April 21, 2021, with twice-weekly service also on its Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the eastbound direction and Thursdays and Sundays in the westbound direction.

Austin will be Hawaiian's first destination in Texas and the third city in the state to offer non-stop flights to Hawaii after Dallas and Houston on American Airlines and United Airlines, respectively. The route expansion complements the growth in flights the Texas capital has seen to Europe and Latin America in recent years.

Between Honolulu and Ontario, California

Hawaiian will begin flying to Ontario, California on March 16, 2021, with five weekly flights on its Airbus A321neo aircraft, the airlines' newest narrow-body jet with a 189-seat, two-class cabin. Eastbound flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays, and westbound oon Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Ontario International Airport is a popular alternative to Los Angeles International Airport as its less congested and a shorter drive for those in the Inland Empire. Hawaiian joins the likes of China Airlines by expanding to the airport to offer a more convenient alternative for travelers.

Between Kahului and Long Beach, California

Hawaiian will begin flying to Long Beach, California on March 16, 2021, with daily service on its Airbus A321neo. Long Beach currently also sees Hawaiian service to Honolulu and will see Southwest Airlines start non-stop flights from Long Beach to Hawaii in March 2021.

Long Beach first welcomed Hawaiian Airlines in June 2018 as the Airbus A321neo made flights to the smaller airport possible. Another alternative airport to the busier Los Angeles International, Long Beach Airport only sees a handful of airlines use its runways and still boards flights via air stairs, much like Burbank's Bob Hope Airport to the north.