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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, September 12, 2002

Not fly? It would 'hurt the economy'

By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer

Rodger Evans epitomized the typical traveler venturing toward his flight gate at Honolulu International Airport yesterday morning.

Slightly sunburned from his vacation on Moloka'i, the Las Vegas resident continued to march through his life exactly the way he wanted.

"I'm not going to let anybody stop me from doing what I gotta do," he said of his decision to fly on the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"If everybody stayed home, it would hurt the economy. They've already hurt us enough."

Among the few people at the airport, what was clearly evident was their resolve. Although scheduling sometimes played a role, travelers generally said they were determined to exercise their fundamental rights as Americans, making choices without trepidation.

"We're just going to go ahead and live our lives," said Peter Rueda, who was returning to Los Angeles with his companion, Hortencia Orozco.

"If (a terrorist attack is) going to happen, it's going to happen."

Mornings are usually quiet at the airport. But yesterday the Hawaiian music seemed louder, the baggage carousels more idle and the sidewalks emptier.

A United Airlines agent estimated that the sparse lines of passengers represented 50 percent of the usual crowds at that time of day.

Indeed, passengers on jets arriving at airports across the country said there were many empty seats, with some flights only half full.

Carriers eliminated flights after the attacks, in which hijackers commandeered and crashed four planes. Airlines cut flights again this week because of a drop in travel volume around the anniversary.

Continental Airlines eliminated one of its two Houston-Honolulu round trips on the anniversary.

With some consumers still jittery about flying, airlines decreased their domestic schedules by 13 percent yesterday compared with the previous Wednesday, according to OAG Worldwide, a company that provides flight information.

Carriers lost at least $9.7 billion since last Sept. 11. And Island-based airlines have felt the effects.

Hawaiian Airlines cut 10 inter-island round trips out of its schedule yesterday, a spokesman said. However, these flights were canceled well in advance because of weak bookings.

An Aloha Airlines spokesman said all flights yesterday operated normally, on schedule and as expected, though trans-Pacific traffic was lighter than usual.

Today appears to be a return to more normal loads for Aloha, with several sold-out flights to and from the Mainland.

Rachel and David Walker, who were traveling to a Neighbor Island yesterday before returning to St. Louis, Mo., adhered to their honeymoon schedule.

"I think today would be the safest day to travel," David Walker said of the increased security.

Others let practical reasons dictate their travel plans.

"I'll have more room on the plane because there will be fewer people flying," said San Antonio resident Susan Mooberry, who also mentioned the comfort she felt with the increased security.

Flying yesterday was not the first choice for Amy and Dan Callahan, returning to Okinawa with their two sons, ages 4 and 7. Rather, it was the only flight available for the next five days.

But going to Japan, where Callahan serves in the Air Force, rather than to the U.S. Mainland, offered some consolation. And they had the same determination that other travelers displayed yesterday.

Though it did give her pause, Amy Callahan said: "Fear wouldn't keep me from traveling on this day."

The Associated Press and Bloomberg News Service contributed to this report.