Transportation

Makani Kai Adding Maui Routes

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

Starting June 1, Makani Kai Air’s single-prop Cessnas will be heading east. The company plans to offer flights to Maui, after repeated requests from Molokai residents who enjoyed their services, said airline owner Richard Schuman.

Currently, Makani Kai operates between Ho`olehua, Kalaupapa and Honolulu. In June  the airline will add six daily round trips between Molokai and Kahului and two weekly between Kalaupapa and Kapalua, according to P.J. O’Reilley, the company’s director of sales and marketing.

Makani Kai will kick off the new routes with introductory online fares of $39  one way and $78 round trip between Maui and Molokai. The flights, which will be available online starting May 1 , must be booked by July 1 for travel by September 1.…

County Explores Avenues for Ferry Aid

Friday, April 10th, 2015

The Maui County Council is taking the first steps toward addressing the struggling Molokai ferry, which has seen decreases in riders and funds within the past year.

Councilmember Stacy Helm Crivello, who represents Molokai on the nine-person council, introduced a resolution last week urging Mayor Alan Arakawa to seek significant financial support for the Lahaina Cruise Company (LCC), which runs the ferry service between Maui and Molokai.

The resolution requested that the mayor to propose an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget that would appropriate $500,000 to the ferry. The money would come from the county’s Economic Development Revolving Fund (EDRF), which, according to the resolution, currently has an estimated balance of $1 million.…

Investigation of East Molokai Crash Continues

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

More details on a Jan. 16 forced emergency aircraft landing in east Molokai have surfaced in a preliminary report recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

According to the report, a privately owned Cessna 172 carrying a pilot and three passengers “collided with terrain” in Ualapue on Molokai’s east end around 2 p.m. that Friday. There were no casualties, although one passenger was rescued in serious condition and the other three with minor injuries.

The plane was owned by Hawaiian Night Lights, LLC. Pilot Michael Richards, a certified flight instructor, was giving a flying lesson to a Japanese citizen while her parents accompanied them in the plane.…

4 Survive Emergency Landing in Halawa

Friday, January 16th, 2015

A privately-owned single-engine Cessna 172 carrying a pilot and three passengers made a forced landing near Cape Halawa last Friday afternoon, according to the Maui Fire Department. Ian Gregor, Public Affairs Manager for the Federal Aviation Association, said the plane “reportedly lost engine power.”

The aircraft was reported to have landed in the trees at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. Maui Fire Department personnel airlifted passengers as well as pilot and plane owner Michael Richards from the crash site to a landing zone at Pu`u O Hoku Ranch.

One unidentified female passenger was taken by Medevac to Maui Memorial Hospital in serious condition.…

Makani Kai Air Expands Molokai Service

Friday, September 26th, 2014

Makani Kai News Release

Makani Kai Air is now offering three more daily round trip flights between Honolulu and Molokai on Sundays and four more round trips on Fridays.

“We’re expanding the number of flights on those days in response to the number of passengers who were finding it difficult to get seats on those days,” said Richard Schuman, president of Makani Kai Air. “Since we began our service to topside Molokai last June we have been extremely happy with the number of Molokai residents who now call us their airline.”

Located at 130 Iolana Place along Lagoon Drive, Makani Kai Air is on the other side of the airport, away from the terminals and congestion.…