Flight attendants on Alaska Airlines Flight 803, operated as Hawaiian Airlines between Los Angeles and Honolulu, reported feeling sick from an unknown odor, sending multiple state and city agencies rushing to the scene. Seven flight attendants were evaluated for headaches and nausea, and all seven declined transport to an emergency room.
According to KHON2, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services responded to the incident, with crews going to Terminal 1 and assisting American Medical Response in evaluating patients on scene. The outlet reported that seven flight attendants in total were checked out for symptoms tied to the odor, though none required a hospital visit.
KHON2 reached out to both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines for statements on the incident, but the station's report did not include responses from either carrier as of publication. The exact source of the odor has not been identified.
A Pattern of Cabin Odor Incidents in Hawaii
Wednesday's episode is not the first time an unexplained smell has disrupted air travel through Hawaii in recent months. Just days earlier, on September 19, a Delta flight from Kahului to Seattle diverted to Honolulu after fumes reportedly filled the cabin shortly after takeoff, according to Paddle Your Own Kanoo. Passengers on that flight complained of headaches and nausea, and four were taken to a hospital, though the outlet noted the source of those fumes had not been established, with some witnesses claiming they saw fuel or oil leaking from an engine after the plane landed.
Alaska Airlines has also dealt with similar cabin odor problems out of Hawaii. In September 2024, Flight 810 from Lihue to Seattle diverted to Honolulu after four flight attendants felt severely ill, according to Simple Flying. The flight carried 119 passengers and six crew members, but only the four flight attendants became sick — no passengers or pilots showed symptoms — and the aircraft later departed for Seattle empty so it could undergo additional inspection.
Earlier Alaska Airlines Incident Also Involved Honolulu
Months before that, in June 2024, an Alaska Airlines flight from Honolulu to Anchorage was canceled after two flight attendants fell ill from an unknown odor in the back of the aircraft while it was boarding, per Hawaii News Now. Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said the two flight attendants were taken to a hospital in serious condition around 11 p.m. that night. Alaska Airlines later said both had been medically cleared and were able to resume flying.
The current incident has not been confirmed as connected to either of those earlier cases. An oil-gauge issue arose after a February Delta flight.
No cause has been confirmed for what sickened the seven flight attendants evaluated at Terminal 1. The flight was Alaska Airlines Flight 803, operated as Hawaiian Airlines between Los Angeles and Honolulu. Hoodline will update this story if further details emerge.
