Island Air calls Moloka'i, Lana'i delays 'unusual'

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kathy Tomura never had problems with any airlines.

Island Air, once a subsidiary of Aloha Airlines and now owned by San Francisco-based Gavarnie Holdings, blames a spate of mechanical and electrical problems for Moloka'i and Lana'i delays. Advertiser library photo • December 2003

Her 2:45 p.m. Sunday flight from Honolulu to Moloka'i was delayed — until almost 9 p.m.

And even though Island Air had compensated her with a complementary one-way ticket, she doubts she'll ever use it.

"I don't want my vacation ruined again," said the 44-year-old resident of Stockton, Calif. "I would seriously not use Island Air next time. Unless it was the last resort."

Hundreds of frustrated Island Air passengers have been camping out at the Moloka'i and Lana'i airports for the past few weeks, as Island Air, which has the most flights into and out of both islands, has delayed or canceled numerous flights.

The company, formerly a subsidiary of Aloha Airlines and now owned by San Francisco-based Gavarnie Holdings LLC, blames a spate of mechanical and electrical problems for the delays.

But that's unacceptable to Tomura, who also had problems with her flight from Moloka'i to Maui a week later.

Not only was the flight canceled four hours after its scheduled departure time, but the airlines flew her and her husband to O'ahu instead, then to Maui, with her luggage catching up to them a day later.

With one of Island Air's planes sent out for a heavy maintenance overhaul for six weeks, the airline is down to four planes operating 54 daily flights. And the remaining planes have been hit with a higher-than-normal number of mechanical problems.

"It has been really unusual," said Neil Takekawa, president and chief operating officer of Island Air. "We've never seen a span (of mechanical problems) as long and as torrential as this has been."

Particularly hard hit by the delays and cancellations are businesses and residents on Moloka'i and Lana'i, which depend heavily on Island Air flights.

"We have to have service to these islands," said Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau. "So however this needs to be fixed, it has to happen. We're really concerned."

Island Air runs eight daily scheduled flights between Honolulu and Moloka'i, and seven between Honolulu and Lana'i. The airline also serves Kona, Kahului and Kapalua, and on Aug. 16, it is scheduled to begin flying to Hilo.

With the added service, Island Air plans to add two new 37-seat De Havilland DASH-8 turboprop planes by the end of the month, two more in August and another in September, bringing the fleet up to 10 planes.

That, Takekawa hopes, will make a difference.

"(Delays are) not acceptable as far as we're concerned," he said. "Customers, no matter what, are not happy. And I don't blame them. We don't like to see that, either."

Hawaiian Airlines currently offers one roundtrip daily from Honolulu to Moloka'i and Lana'i, said spokesman Keoni Wagner. But by mid-August, it plans to substitute its once-a-day service to both islands with flights via Island Air. Pacific Wings discontinued its service from Honolulu to Moloka'i and Lana'i last October.

That means in about a month, Island Air will have the only scheduled flights into and out of both islands.

"We're concerned, definitely," said Barbara Haliniak, president of the Moloka'i Chamber of Commerce, who commutes to O'ahu and Maui at least once a month.

Haliniak doesn't use Island Air anymore, opting to fly with Moloka'i Air Shuttle, which offers charter service.

Hotels on Moloka'i and Lana'i have had to allow for later meal service and checkouts, while trying to lift the moods of angry visitors.

"We have been frustrated and disappointed at the continual delays and cancellations of what is essentially the only airline service in the island," said Peter Nicholas, chief operating officer of Moloka'i Properties Limited, commonly known as Moloka'i Ranch. "Our customers and staff — everybody on this island — are just frustrated."

The delays might have hurt business, though it's hard to tell, Nicholas said.

"You never know what customers you've lost," he said.

Matthew Hart, vice president of resorts for Castle & Cooke, which operates The Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel on Lana'i, said he was disappointed that the expansion of service through Island Air didn't go as planned. "Unfortunately ... the visitors were caught up in the delays and their final impression was of long waits at the airport after a wonderful vacation on Lana'i," Hart said.

Dollar Rent A Car at Moloka'i Airport has had to stay open until 11 p.m. at times — it normally closes at 7 p.m. daily — waiting for delayed flights to arrive.

"It's frustrating for the employees," said manager Kookie Pa. "We have to just wait."

But businesses aren't the only ones suffering.

People who commute for meetings, weddings, doctor's appointments and canoe races are also affected.

"It was a big problem for us," said Annie Nelson, whose husband, Mark, helped organized the weeklong Aloha Music Camp at Moloka'i Ranch in June.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.