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Search Results for: ferry

Alaska-Hawaiian Merger Won’t Solve Molokai Flight Issues

Thursday, April 11th, 2024

Molokai residents who were hoping the proposed Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines merger could help the flight crisis on Molokai, will unfortunately be disappointed. Representatives from Alaska Airlines were clear that they will not be flying to Molokai, officially partnering with Mokulele or bringing in an additional Molokai airline.

“We knew this was going to be a little bit of an unusual visit…We knew we didn’t have a solution,” explained Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines regional president of Hawaii, at a meeting with representatives from Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, the U.S. Congress and Molokai community members on March 28.

Airline representatives sighted “significant airport limitations” of the Ho’olehua airport for their current decision.…

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Disappointing Services

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

To recap a previous community letter, we, the people of Molokai, used to have a ferry that traveled to/from Maui twice daily, and we used to have services from three different airlines. Since February 2021, our only means of off island travel is via Mokulele Airlines/Southern Airways for medical, business, family, recreation travels.  (And some have access to private boats.)

It’s with great disappointment that Mokulele Airlines has not been dependable in providing reliable and consistent services.  We travel frequently each month for the reasons mentioned above, and we have a corporate account.  Too often our flights have been delayed, changed, or canceled. …

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Tokuda Pledges Air Assistance

Wednesday, May 10th, 2023

Tokuda Pledges Air Assistance

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

Congressman Jill Tokuda, the U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s Second District, is in the process of writing a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding Molokai’s airline crisis. 

“I’d like to create a thoughtful letter that really lays out the transportation crisis and vulnerability that exists,” said Tokuda. “Right now, the only constant is that it is inconsistent,” she added. 

Tokuda explained to Molokai residents gathered at her town hall meeting held at Mitchell Pauole Center last Thursday that the FAA needs data on flight delays and cancelations along with personal testimony to make a difference. 

Molokai community members related horror stories of family members passing away without loved ones and surgeries cancelled – all due to flight expense and unreliability. …

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Resolving Transportation Issues

Wednesday, March 8th, 2023

I recently wrote to Senator DeCoite and Mayor Bissen to address state and county issues regarding transportation for Molokai residents to neighbor islands. And, to kindly ask their help in finding solutions for better service.

As you are aware, Molokai no longer has a ferry offering transportation to Maui. As you are also aware, there is now only one airline, Mokulele, servicing Molokai. When the ferry went out of business, a major factor was price competition with the three airlines that served Molokai at that time. Now there is only one airline, Mokulele.

There is a serious problem with only having one method of transportation to and from Molokai. …

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Farming Keeps Social Worker Grounded

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Farming Keeps Social Worker Grounded

By Paul Hanley, Community Reporter

Brent Nakihei has been working on the ‘aina since he was a child. The youngest of 12, he used to do chores for his grandparents Albert and Agnes Ne on their piggery farm in Kalama’ula. Now 53, he has started farming again on the same land, originally leased by his great grandfather John Pua’a in 1923, the fifth Hawaiian Homestead on the Hawaiian Islands.

Molokai farmers like Kekama Helm inspired Nakihei to get back into farming and to do it sustainably. His initial venture is a 1.6-acre field planted into avocado, soursop, white guava, lichee, ulu, and different types of mangoes — about 50 trees in all.…

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Planning for Managed Tourism

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

On a small, rural island like Molokai, whose residents have fought for preservation of their cultural heritage and against overdevelopment, tourism is a controversial subject. Many residents welcomed the lack of visitors brought by the pandemic, while local businesses often suffer from drops in visitor numbers. In an effort to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is making progress with the Molokai Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP). Over a three-year period, the plan’s focus is on the stabilization, recovery and rebuilding of the visitor industry for the island.

 “HTA was getting a lot of heat at the state legislature because in 2019, Hawaii had a record breaking number of tourists, over 10 million that came to Hawaii,” said Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, county councilmember for Molokai, and member of the HTA’s Molokai Task Force.…

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Dwindling Services

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021

We, the people of Molokai, used to have a ferry that traveled to/from Maui twice daily, and we used to have services from three different airlines.  However, as of February 2021, off-island travel for family visits, doctors’ appointments, medical treatments, or to conduct business or shopping (not only for tourists) means to fly Mokulele Airlines/Southern Airways, only.  Except for an occasional mishap we basically were satisfied with Mokulele’s service.

However, our 20-month-old grandson and his parents were here visiting this past weekend from Oahu (a quick two-day visit and vacay).  Their return flight was delayed 36 hours. The airport was full of passengers, and I’m sure each have their own story to tell. …

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‘Ohana by Hawaiian Not Returning

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021

‘Ohana by Hawaiian Not Returning

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

‘Ohana by Hawaiian, which had temporarily suspended flights to Molokai in January, announced it is permanently closing operations. The passenger service previously offered flights between Honolulu and Molokai and Lanai, as well as cargo service.

Hawaiian Airlines cited a severe decline in travel demand from the COVID-19 pandemic and state and county quarantine measures triggering a labor provision that led to the temporary suspension of passenger and cargo flights early this year. Hawaiian representatives said the company decided to permanently end service following an in-depth assessment of the overall operation and its long-term viability.

“This is a heartbreaking decision, particularly for those of us who were involved in launching the business in 2014,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO at Hawaiian Airlines.…

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‘Ohana’s Last Flight

Wednesday, January 20th, 2021

‘Ohana’s Last Flight

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

It was a heartfelt farewell for ‘Ohana by Hawaiian last Thursday at Molokai’s airport as the airline departed on what may be its final flight from Molokai. Kupuna in wheelchairs held signs begging the airline to continue flying, while crew and Molokai ‘Ohana employees hugged and the airport fire department showered the plane with an arch of water as it taxied away.

The airline first announced last October it would suspend service to Molokai and Lanai on Nov. 1 after low travel demand caused by the pandemic “triggered a labor provision in Hawaiian’s pilot contract affecting the carrier’s ability to provide ‘Ohana by Hawaiian service.”…

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Ohana Reduces Molokai Flights

Friday, September 8th, 2017

 

Ohana by Hawaiian, an inter-island flight service of Hawaiian Airlines, will be reducing its flights to Molokai this month. Many residents say the changes will cause hardship for kupuna who need the wheelchair accessibility of Ohana’s larger aircraft not offered by the two other smaller  airlines serving Molokai.

“I’m concerned about ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliance, we don’t have the ferry,” said Rep. Lynn DeCoite of Molokai.  “My concern is now, do we have to airlift guys out of there?”

In addition to wheelchair accessibility, the smaller aircraft operated by  Mokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Air have weight limitations of 350 pounds maximum per passenger, so some residents are limited to travel on Ohana’s larger aircraft.…

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