Mokulele Adds Direct Flight to Kona

Molokai residents traveling to Hawaii Island will have a much easier option starting in September. Mokulele Airlines is adding a direct flight between Molokai and Kona, eliminating the need to stop on Oahu or Maui en route to Hawaii Island.

The airline will be offering two round trip flights daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, according to Mokulele representatives.

“Primarily this service is being offered because of the feedback we were given from the community,” said Mokulele President and CEO Ron Hansen.  “We realized that the residents of Molokai were looking for a fair price for travel to the Big Island. As well it would further help them with their employment opportunities on the Big Island and save them time and money with their commutes.”

Booking is now available through the airline’s website for travel beginning Sept. 8. Airline representatives said fares for the flight start at $79 one way, though currently Mokulele’s website shows $128 to $138 for the route. The flight time is about 55 minutes, compared to the hour-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hour trips with a layover, which are priced around $150.

The direct flight between Molokai and Kona is a new route for the company since Mokulele changed ownership under Hansen in 2011.

“We believe great things happen when we listen to our customers and to our employees so we felt this direct flight could be useful to the communities we serve,” said Hansen.

In addition to the new route, Mokulele will extend a keiki discount through the end of the year. The special fare offers 25 percent off for youth ages 12 and under flying to all the airline’s nine airports across the state, according to a Mokulele press release.

To book a flight on Mokulele, visit mokuleleairlines.com.