Posted on: Friday, October 10, 2003
Airfield closures worry airlines
| • | Map: Pacific flights |
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
Airline and tourism officials are worried about the closing of three small airfields in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that serve as emergency backups for flights to and from Hawai'i.
The closures could force airlines to divert routes, which may inconvenience travelers and create another obstacle to tourism from Japan and other Asian countries.
Some airlines have depended on several small airports for emergency runways in case they lose an engine or encounter other trouble while flying from Hawai'i to other Pacific islands and Asia.
Three airfields could all be shuttered by the end of the year. On Johnston Atoll, an airfield is scheduled to close by the end of December. An airfield on Midway Atoll is slated to close at the end of this month unless Congress approves an appropriation for an additional year — which U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye and U.S. Rep. Ed Case are advocating. And an airfield on Wake Island closed Oct. 1 for runway resurfacing although it is expected to reopen by March 1.
The problem for the travel industry is that some airlines converted to smaller, more efficient two-engine aircraft from larger 747s and DC-10s and the Federal Aviation Administration requires that certain two-engine planes flying over water be within three hours of a well-maintained emergency runway in case they lose an engine.
That leaves airlines, including major Japan-Hawai'i carrier United Airlines, looking for alternatives that could force a diversion of planes to different routes. For flights to Asia, the requirement could add add hours to flights and make a trip to Hawai'i seem more of an ordeal — the last thing the tourism industry wants.
"This one kind of blindsided us," said Marsha Wienert, Gov. Linda Lingle's tourism liaison.
"We're going to have to be a lot more competitive in the marketplace to convince them to fly an additional three or four hours.
It's another one of those negatives we have in trying to expand the market."
Because United, like other domestic carriers, has been converting its fleet to more fuel-efficient aircraft such as 767s, it is most affected by the airfield closures, Wienert said. A United spokesman had no comment yesterday.
According to the FAA, airlines could divert their routes to fly within range of the Marshall Islands or Kiritimati (Christmas Island). But that could add three or more hours to flights from Japan, Wienert said.
The result could be a higher cost for Asia-Hawai'i flights and an increase to 10 hours or more for the trip, from approximately seven hours now, Wienert said.
The airfield closures come at a time when Hawai'i is trying to attract more travelers from Japan and the rest of Asia. But "when you have these kinds of obstacles that face you, sometimes you go, 'Oh my goodness — what's next?'" Wienert said.
One option for airlines is to return to flying larger DC-10s or 747s, but carriers are not eager to take on the extra cost of switching back.
But Wienert's biggest concern is that in the long term, Japan Airlines and other carriers may convert to more-efficient dual-engine aircraft and the loss of available emergency airfields could become a larger problem.
"Down the line, JAL might go into the more economical and fuel-efficient 767s or 777s," said Gilbert Kimura, JAL's director of passenger and cargo sales in Hawai'i. "Airlines are always looking for more economical planes."
The pending closure of the Johnston airfield is already forcing changes for airlines flying to other Pacific islands. Aloha Airlines is cutting Johnston Atoll from its twice-weekly route to the Marshall Islands starting Dec. 4. Aloha had used Johnston as a fueling stop, but will switch to an extended-range 700 aircraft in December to allow it to skip the stop.
Polynesian Airlines has used Johnston as its alternate airfield for flights to Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa, and is also considering Christmas Island as an option, said regional manager Jim Dehn.
But Christmas Island's airfield needs improvements, Dehn said. Other airfields, including Wake and Midway, are not close enough to be used as alternates on the Samoa route.
"It is a concern with Johnston island closing.... There's not too many islands out there," Dehn said. "Everything's up in the air."
Meanwhile, airline and state officials and legislators are pushing to keep the Midway airfield open for Hawai'i-Japan flights.
Case said keeping the Midway airport open is important not only to serve as an emergency landing spot, but to enforce fishing laws in the North Pacific, serve the state's interests and allow recreational fishing and ecotourism use of Midway. "It's in our interest to keep the Midway airport open," he said.
Inouye's spokesman Mike Yuen said the senator "is optimistic that funds will likely be appropriated."
"What is at stake is Midway will have the only emergency landing field open in that area of the Pacific," Yuen said. He said a final decision on an appropriation for Midway may come by the end of next month.
Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470, or at kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Correction: Polynesian Airlines has used a Johnston Atoll airfield as its alternate airfield for flights to Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa. Another island was named in a previous version of this story.
