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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 10:15 a.m., Tuesday, September 11, 2001

Most Hawai'i public schools, UH open; outgoing flights grounded; Ala Moana Center closed

Advertiser Staff

Most state public schools and the University of Hawa'i will remain open and all Hawai'i airports are closed to all except those on official business this morning following the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Mayor Jeremy Harris talks on the phone in the city civil defense crisis center following the recent attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser


Security personnel advises travelers that the Honolulu International Airport is closed. The airport was closed because of apparent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser


Sharon Yamada of Nu'uanu talks with Honolulu International Airport security guards about the closing of the airport. Yamada was headed for the Big Island on a business trip.

Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser


For Information on flights, travelers and concerned families can call:
• American Airlines — 1-800-245-0999
• United Airlines — 1-800-932-8555
• Northwest does not have a phone line set up, but advises people to check its Web site.

State Department of Education officials said public schools on O'ahu, Maui and Kaua'i will be open, except for those on military installations, which are closed. Big Island public schools are closed. Gov. Ben Cayetano and UH officials have decided to open the university.

Transportation department spokesman Marilyn Kali said all in and outgoing flights have been cancelled through today and at least through mid-day tomorrow. She said all scheduled incoming Mainland and international flights except one have arrived.

About 530 visitors will need to be accommodated locally because of the disruption in flights, Kali said.

Ground traffic into the airport has been halted except for those on official business, Kali said. Security personnel were checking the airport for anything suspicious, she said. All Diamond Head and 'ewa concourses are being checked and will be closed after the security sweep.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Tweet Coleman said 6 flights from the Mainland and 11 from international points were scheduled for arrival today.

All 17 airports in the state have been shut down until further notice, Coleman said, but these flights will be allowed to land. The last one was expected to land around 10:30 a.m., she said.

“They could not turn around,” she said. “So we’re just going to have them land.”

She said that some will be diverted to the Neighbor Islands. She had no details on which flights would go to which islands. “We’re coordinating that,” she said. Hawai'i’s airports were closed at 4:30 a.m.

People with outbound flights are being advised not to come to the airport, Coleman said. People picking up passengers should expect to be stopped and questioned, Coleman said.

Plainclothes FAA officers are at the airport now, Coleman said, monitoring the facilities for “anything suspicious - -people, items.”

“We want to prevent anything that might happen,” Coleman said. “Our big mode right now is prevention.”

Aloha Airlines flights cancelled

Aloha Airlines cancelled its Mainland flights for today, and all of its interisland flights until further notice. It is not accepting cargo. Hawaiian Airlines cancelled all flights out of and into the Islands until midnight tonight Hawaii time. It has also cancelled all of its interisland flights until 2pm Hawaii time.

The company will not accept any cargo shipments until further notice.

Travelers booked on Hawaiian flights departing today should call 1-888-222-1699 (on Oahu: 838-5444) for assistance in rebooking their flights.

Civil defense activated

Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris activated civil defense personnel this morning and placed all city emergency personnel on alert.

“We have kept on extra ambulance and police personnel,” Harris said. “We are providing extra security around government buildings, in Waikiki and other potential targets of opportunity. People need not be anxious, everything is being done to guard against any type of terrorist attack here.”

Harris called an emergency meeting this morning for fire, police and emergency departments to brief them on the situation in Honolulu.

He also talked with Navy Adm. Dennis Blair and the FAA this morning convincing them to reroute incoming aircraft to Neighbor Island destinations for security purposes.

“When we look at potential sites where terrorism can occur, you have to look at Pearl Harbor and Waikiki, points that have international recognition,” Harris said. “There is absolutely no hint or any suggestion that there’s any planned terrorism in Hawai‘i. We are taking precautionary measures. “

Police Capt. Paul Epstein said officers have been held over from the midnight watch to guard government buildings such as the State Capitol, the Honolulu Municipal building and the federal building.

“Terrorist’s target facilities where many people have gathered, office buildings,” Epstein said. “That’s what happened in New York and Washington.”

Robin McCulloch, city Emergency Medical Services chief, said five midnight shift ambulance crews and 10 paramedics and been held over in case they are needed.

“Right now, it is fairly stable in Honolulu and we are monitoring the situation,“ McCulloch said.

Ala Moana Center closed

Ala Moana Shopping Center has been closed, center management announced.

Federal building closed to public

The FBI said the federal building would be closed to the public today, but that each agency would have to decide if it would allow employees to come to work.

Military installations affected

A Navy spokesman at Pearl Harbor said all non-essential Navy employees would not be coming to work but an Army spokesman at Schofield Barracks said all Army posts would remain open.

The Blood Bank of Hawaii has put out a request for blood donors who wish to help victims in New York and Washington, D.C. Donors should go to the 2043 Dillingham Boulevard center or call 845-9966.

Hotels assessing impact

Outrigger Hotels, with nearly 30 hotels in the Islands, is currently assessing how many guests were scheduled to leave today, and how many are expected to arrive on the 17 flights coming in.

Outrigger spokesman Jim Austin said the company is trying to figure out a courtesy rate for the guests who will be stranded here. He said there are more than enough rooms for everyone, since there are no flights coming in.

“Right now we’re tyring to catch any guests before they try to go to the airport,” he said this morning.

The company’s switchboards have been among the busiest systems this morning, he said, as people call here to let loved ones know they’re alright, and as guests have tried to dial out to let Mainland relatives and friends know they’re ok.

“One of the systems that’s being worked very hard now is the operators receiveing in-bound calls from the Mainland,” he said.

UH games in doubt

University of Hawai'i officials said they are strongly considering canceling all of this weekend's games, including the football team's roadtrip to Nevada and the Wahine volleyball team's tournament at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson said they will announce tomorrow whether all the league events will be canceled. The UH football team was scheduled to leave Thursday for Reno. In conjunction with a booster group from Northern California, an estimated 3,000 UH alumni and supporters were scheduled to attend the game.