Hawaiian Airlines is getting its first Airbus A330-200 jets a year earlier than planned.

The state's largest airline said yesterday that it will lease two new Airbus widebody jets from aircraft lessor AWAS, the first of which will be delivered in 2011.

The jets are in addition to up to 24 long-range Airbus jets that Hawaiian is purchasing from the European manufacturer. Airbus plans to deliver the first of the purchased jets in 2012.

"These additional aircraft underscore Hawaiian's commitment to future growth and to reaching new markets globally, which will be a huge plus for Hawai'i travelers and for the long-term health and diversity of Hawai'i's tourism industry," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's CEO.

Shares of Hawaiian slipped 14 cents yesterday to close at $5.66 on the Nasdaq market.

Hawaiian said the leased Airbus jets, which will be used for the company's trans-Pacific service, will replace Boeing 767-300ER jets that the company currently leases from AWAS.

Hawaiian recently extended the leases on the two Boeing 767 jets until 2011.

Last November, the company announced that it was investing up to $4.4 billion to acquire as many as 24 Airbus jets over the next decade.

The deal includes six Airbus 330-200 aircraft and six extra-wide body Airbus 350XWB-800 jets. The company also has the option to buy 12 additional Airbus aircraft.

With a passenger capacity of about 298, the Airbus 330-200 is more fuel efficient and has a longer operating range than Hawaiian's existing fleet of Boeing aircraft.

The long-range capability of the new aircraft will allow the company to fly nonstop to anywhere in North America and eastern Asia.

News of the new aircraft comes as Hawaiian is expanding its service in the interisland market.

Earlier this month, Hawaiian put into service the first of four additional Boeing 717-200 jets for its interisland service. The company said it plans to add 109 round-trip interisland flights a week by January with the new Boeing jets.