Alaska Airlines Upgrades Seattle–Maui Flights to Widebody Dreamliner for Holiday Season
Alaska Airlines will operate the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its Seattle-to-Maui route during two peak holiday windows in late November and mid-December through early January 2026. The larger aircraft increases seat capacity on one of Maui’s key mainland corridors during the highest-demand travel period of the year. Alaska Airlines will deploy the widebody Boeing 787-9 […]
Southwest Cuts Honolulu–Maui Flights 50%, Adds Kauai and Kona Nonstops
Southwest Airlines has updated its Hawaii schedule through April 2027, halving interisland flights between Honolulu and Maui while adding weekend nonstop service from San Diego to Kauai and Kona. The Honolulu-to-Maui reduction is the most significant change affecting Maui visitor access. Southwest is cutting Honolulu-to-Maui daily flights from 8 to 4 in each direction, reducing […]
OGG Passenger Volumes Held Steady During Spring TSA Staffing Crisis
Kahului Airport saw a 1% increase in daily passenger screenings during the spring 2026 TSA funding lapse, even as major mainland airports experienced dramatic declines. OGG averaged 9,430 daily screenings between March and May 2026, outperforming most U.S. airports. OGG ranked 15th among medium-hub airports for resilience during the TSA funding lapse, which ran for […]
Lānaʻi Air Plans Molokai Service, Promising Competition and Lower Fares
Lānaʻi Air is preparing to launch four daily roundtrip flights between Molokai and Honolulu, bringing a second commercial carrier to an underserved island. Residents hope increased competition will reduce high interisland airfares. Lānaʻi Air plans to operate four daily roundtrip Molokai–Honolulu flights using 19-seat Cessna SkyCourier aircraft. Molokai currently has limited commercial air service, leaving […]
Three Airlines Vie for Federal Subsidy to Keep Lānaʻi Air Service Running
Hawaii Public Radio reported that three airlines — Mokulele Airlines, Pacific Air Charters, and Cape Air — are competing for a U.S. Department of Transportation Essential Air Service subsidy to maintain scheduled flights between Lānaʻi and Maui/Honolulu. The competition follows the expiration of Mokulele’s current two-year EAS contract, which was triggered when the airline said […]
Why Hawaii’s Long Flights Amplify Common Airline Conflicts
A pattern of airline disputes — seat complaints, downgrades, mid-flight confrontations — disproportionately escalates on Hawaii routes due to the length and remoteness of the flights. A recent federal ruling against United over misleading window-seat listings brought the issue back into focus. A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against United Airlines over seats […]
Kahului Airport Earns Level 3 Carbon Accreditation, Eyes 2045 Net-Zero Goal
Hawaii’s Department of Transportation announced that Kahului Airport (OGG) and four other major state airports have achieved Level 3 status under a global carbon management program. The milestone reflects progress toward a 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and full net-zero operations by 2045. OGG is one of five Hawaii airports to reach Level 3 under […]
Southwest Flight from Kahului Diverts to Honolulu After Mid-Ocean Emergency
Multiple outlets reported that a Southwest Airlines red-eye flight departing Maui’s Kahului Airport for Las Vegas on July 5 declared an in-flight emergency roughly 90 minutes into the flight and diverted to Honolulu. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 landed safely at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport with no injuries reported among passengers or crew. Southwest […]
Southwest Flight Diverts to Honolulu After Turning Back Over Pacific
A Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Kahului to Las Vegas turned back roughly 90 minutes into the flight and diverted to Honolulu, landing safely with no injuries. The cause has not been confirmed, and the aircraft remained grounded in Honolulu the following day. Southwest Flight 139 departed Kahului (OGG) on July 5 around […]
Kahului Airport Runway Rebuild Narrows to Two Options, Costing Up to $1B
Hawaii’s Department of Transportation has narrowed reconstruction plans for Kahului Airport’s aging main runway to two options — a $604 million temporary runway approach or a nearly $1 billion permanent parallel runway. Both options would begin around 2031 and take approximately four years to complete. Runway 2-20, built in 1942 and the only Maui runway […]