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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 12:07 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, 2002

American flights to link L.A., Kaua'i

By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Write

American Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Lihue, Kaua'i, on June 15, bringing the number of daily nonstop flights from the Mainland to Kaua'i to three.

American Airlines flies nonstop from the Mainland to O'ahu, Maui and the Big Island. The addition of Kaua'i brings American's total daily nonstop flights to the state to 16.

The move is part of American's recovery efforts after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that temporarily crippled the company. The largest airline said today it will add 19 daily flights to New York-area airports between April and June and several international flights to meet increased demand for spring and summer travel.

On Kaua'i, American will compete with United Airlines, which has two daily nonstop flights from California. American will use 176-seat Boeing 757s on the flight. United also uses Boeing 757s on the flight but with a 182-seat capacity.

Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua'i Visitors Bureau, said that combined with United's daily flights and a couple of seasonal once-weekly charter flights, 23 flights from the Mainland per week will arrive at Lihue Airport this summer.

"With new air service available, hopefully (visitors will) stay a little bit longer on Kaua'i," said Kanoho.

This seems to be the trend. The Kaua'i bureau's most recent survey showed less island hopping by visitors who come directly to Kaua'i, said Kanoho.

"A lot of people are not as into the frenetic schedule as they used to be," Kanoho said. "People are looking for some rest and relaxation."

The shares of Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR, American Airlines' parent, which had risen 30 percent this year, fell $1.58, or 5.4 percent, to $27.47 in midafternoon trading today.