A Maui pilot base and closing the SEA base are frequent rumors. The truth is that probably nobody - including management - knows for sure what will happen, because that's just too far into the future.
The SEA base was one of three on the west coast before the '03 bankruptcy. In the DC-10/L1011 days pilots were based there because they could fly turns from those bases (3-man crew), be home every night, and save the company a lot of money on hotels. Because of the bankruptcy's need to save money, and the 767's 2-man crew, the need for all three bases was diminished. There was still a need however for reserve coverage on the west coast, so LAX and SFO were closed, but SEA remained open. If a pilot flew to the west coast from HNL and because of delays would go over the 32/7 rule going home, the company needed a reserve to fly the return leg. If there weren't any reserves on the west coast, it could take a whole day to get someone there from Hawaii. I think the main reason for keeping a base open on the west coast was the reserve coverage issue. SEA was chosen because trying to do a 2-day trip from Hawaii would be harder there than other cities with the longer flight times from Hawaii. The schedules would be very hard to keep up without delaying the morning outbound flight. Also, the simulator for the 767 (and later the 717) was in SEA, and a lot of check airman lived there. Having the check airman do their work in-base saved the company money too. And finally it was close to PAE, where a lot of the 767 maintenance was done. All together, it made sense for HA to have a base in SEA.
There is a need for a 330 base, for the same reserve coverage reasons as the 767, but it would probably be in a bigger 330 destination, like LAX or LAS. SEA will probably remain open as a 767 base until either the 767 fleet gets too small for it to make sense, or the passenger loads out of SEA get so big that a 330 is needed.
A Maui 767 base might make some sense, but there is the issue of staffing numbers, since any pilot base has to have a certain number of reserves available according to the contract. If having those additional pilot reserves (more pilots on the seniority list) in the base costs the company more than shipping pilots back and forth on a 717 does, they won't open a base there.
HAL
