Transportation

Local Hui to Organize Flights for Medical Appointments 

Thursday, May 8th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor 

After years of airport anxiety, Molokai residents on their way to doctors appointments should be able to breathe a little easier. A locally run healthcare hui, Pulama Ka Heke, recently received a Department of Health award specifically to transport residents and providers for medical care. 

“We want to close healthcare gaps,” explained Lani Ozaki, executive director of Pulama Ka Heke. To this end, Pulama Ka Heke will be chartering flights for those with medical appointments off-island, as well as offering flights to Molokai for medical specialists. 

The nearly $2 million award will cover two years of the Essential Rural Medical Air Transport (ERMAT) Pilot Program for both Molokai and Lanai.…

PACI Begins Charters, Eyes Commuter Service

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

On March 3, Pacific Air Charters Incorporated (PACI) announced that they have been approved for on-demand charter service in Hawaii, including for Molokai.

“Our mission at PACI is to offer customizable charter flights designed to meet the unique needs of our clients,” said CEO Marshall Ashley.

For these flights, customers can charter the entire plane for approximately $4,500 each way, explained Katherine Kalei, base manager for PACI. The company can’t, however, sell individual seats yet for commuter service.

“On-demand is far more expensive than if you’re working with the Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts [in commuter service] where you have a subsidy that will help keep the prices down,” said Kalei.…

Senate Bill Proposes Airport Runway Expansion

Wednesday, February 26th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

A new bill, SB1570, introduced to the Hawaii State Legislature this year is looking at options for securing more reliable flight transportation for Molokai primarily via an expansion of Molokai airport’s runway.

The bill explains that “the legislature further finds that there has been urgent and growing concern regarding ongoing issues with Mokulele Airlines, including frequent delays and cancellations, which are forcing residents to resort to unsafe, makeshift transportation options.”

Specifically referencing the most recent Mokulele service shutdown, the bill describes Molokai residents rushed to Oahu on boats for emergency medical care.

“The legislature believes that Mokulele Airlines’ unreliability and lack of alternative air carrier options put lives and livelihoods at risk,” explains the bill.…

Mokulele Not in the Clear Yet

Friday, January 31st, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

While Mokulele has resumed commercial flights to Molokai, residents are still dealing with prolonged delays, flight cancellations and a frustrating lack of communication from the airline. In a recent interview with KHON news, Ed Sniffen from the Hawaii Dept. of Transportation explained that Mokulele is only at about 50 percent flight capacity right now and that it will take approximately six weeks before Mokulele flights are back to normal.

Currently, Molokai community members and representatives are heading efforts to try to bring better flight service to the island. Molokai’s Tylor Tanaka is helping lead this process by collecting hard data on flight delays and cancellations experienced by residents.…

With Mokulele Grounded Again, Molokai Rallies Around Local Boat Captains

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

When news of Mokulele’s shutdown spread on Wednesday, Jan. 15 Molokai residents were alarmed, but somewhat prepared. After years of inconsistent flight service, suffuse with frustrating delays and surprise cancellations, residents have become unfortunately familiar with this sort of transportation crisis. Mokulele went through a similar shutdown period just this past August when issues found in routine maintenance inspection led to a company enforced grounding for several days.

Following Wednesday’s shutdown, the need to travel for critical medical appointments, work, student sports and more sent Molokai residents scrambling. Like a well-oiled machine, residents took to Facebook to organize transportation via boat.…

Mokulele Looks to ‘Turn the Corner’

Thursday, October 31st, 2024

“What we’re doing right now is unacceptable,” explained Louis Saint-Cyr, president of Hawaii operations for Surf Air Mobility, which operates Mokulele Airlines. For flight-weary Molokai, residents have faced years of prolonged delays and last-minute cancellations from the sole airline provider. Now, explained Saint-Cyr, Mokulele is “out of chances.”

Saint-Cyr is the newest head of operations for Mokulele, which was acquired by Surf Air Mobility earlier this year. With new management comes a new plan for success.

Saint-Cyr laid out a straight-forward two-part strategy before a group of Molokai residents at a small meeting on Oct. 22: add more planes and fix the budget.…

Ferry Talks Continue 

Friday, October 25th, 2024

Molokai residents had a final chance to voice ideas and feedback on bringing back the Molokai ferry. The Maui County Ferry Feasibility Study began over the summer, with the idea of creating a publicly run ferry system for Maui County like the MEO bus. The Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which helps plan transportation projects for Maui County, will put forward the proposal to the county council early next year.

Following a community meeting and survey back in July, the Maui MPO was back on Molokai to share results and attain feedback on potential proposals. 

“What we heard is that ferry service is vital,” said Kaunoe Batangan, executive director of Maui MPO.…

Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines Merge, Will Molokai Benefit?

Thursday, September 26th, 2024

Alaska Airlines completed the purchase of Hawaiian Airlines with a $1.9 billion deal on Sept. 18. The merger was proposed last December and approved by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation on Sept. 17 with certain stipulations including continued neighbor island flights and support for Essential Air Service (EAS). While the deal will affect many travel options in and out of Hawaii, it will not change the transportation reality for Molokai.

Incoming CEO of Hawaiian, Joe Sprague, explained in an interview with the Dispatch that he is “feeling the heavy responsibility associated with bringing these two companies together…and is hopeful about the future.”…

Mokulele Temporarily Grounded, Wins Lanai EAS Bid

Thursday, August 29th, 2024

Last weekend, Mokulele Airlines grounded most of its fleet of planes, canceling flights for up to four days and stranding passengers across Hawaii. On Aug. 17, a letter to customers from Louis Saint-Cyr, president of Hawaii operations for Mokulele’s new managing company Surf Air Mobility, explained the cause of the service disruption as due to “potential discrepancies in the documentation of a recent landing gear servicing on one of our aircraft.”

A precautionary decision was made on Aug. 17 to halt most of its flights across the state while Mokulele conducted “thorough inspections” of its fleet. As the flights slowed, Molokai social media buzzed with residents desperately looking for flights and seeking boat rides to or from Maui – an increasingly popular method of transportation for increasingly frustrated Molokai residents.…

Ferry Talks Amid Flight Shortage

Thursday, August 8th, 2024

The lack of reliable transportation to and from Molokai over the last several years has driven residents and Maui County officials to restart talks of bringing back the Molokai ferry. County officials and consultants made the trip over to Molokai for a preliminary feasibility study on the prospect of bringing back the ferry, with Maui County running it.

The ferry would operate “similar to how we have a bus system,” explained County Councilmember Keani Rawlins Fernandez at the Aug. 1 meeting at the Kualapu’u Rec Center.

Molokai residents offered opinions on the viability of bringing the ferry back, along with ideas for which wharf to run the ferry to on Maui and infrastructure upgrades.…