Southwest Airlines testing flight from Oakland to Hawaii

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Southwest Airlines took a big step Tuesday with a test flight from Oakland to Honolulu.

There won't be any regular passengers.

The flight's main purpose is to test long-range navigation and communication capability of the carrier's 737 aircraft.

RELATED: Consumer Reports reveals which airlines fared the best and worst in their annual survey

Flights like these are the final phase for Southwest to get approval to start service to Hawaii.

The government shutdown delayed their launch.

The airline recently said it is likely to start flying people to Hawaii this spring.

Take a look at more stories and videos on air travel.