Posted on: Friday, July 16, 2004

Island Air vows end to delays

By Bruce Dunford
Associated Press

Island Air executives assured Gov. Linda Lingle on Wednesday that the interisland carrier had solved its problems and restored its full on-time service to Lana'i and Moloka'i.

"We went through a really unusual period," said Neil Takekawa, Island Air's president and chief executive officer, after a meeting requested by the governor to learn what was being done about episodes in which passengers waited hours because of delayed flights.

Takekawa said the airline planned to acquire extra aircraft by the end of the month, providing backup when its planes have to be taken out of service for mechanical problems.

"Although it's expensive, I think it's worthwhile to maintain our service," he said.

Island Air delayed or canceled numerous flights in the past few weeks, frustrating hundreds of passengers and leaving some camping out for hours at the Moloka'i and Lana'i airports.

It generated complaints not only from local residents but from tourist industry officials concerned that visitors were being stranded or unable to make connecting flights.

So far, so good, according to Kookie Pa, manager of Dollar Rent A Car at Moloka'i Airport. In the past two weeks, she said, Island Air has been delayed only once, for just an hour — a vast improvement over the long waits, crowded terminals and angry passengers at Moloka'i Airport earlier.

"It's been good," said Pa, whose employees had to work until 11 p.m. some nights, waiting for customers on delayed Island Air flights. "My employees have been happy."

Takekawa characterized as unusual the delays because of mechanical and electrical problems, especially as they appeared over a short period of time, leaving the airline without enough planes to handle seven daily flights to Lana'i and 10 to Moloka'i.

Island Air serves Kapalua and Ka'anapali, Maui; Moloka'i and Lana'i from Honolulu and Kahului, flying 37-passenger turboprop de Havilland DASH-8s.

When one of its planes was taken out of service for six weeks for a major overhaul, four planes were left to operate 54 daily flights, and an unusual number of mechanical problems occurred.

While the company plans to expand service to other parts of the Islands, it won't do so until it has planes available that have been broken in for Hawai'i's higher humidity, which can cause electronic problems.

"Then we'll probably expand to Hilo and then on to Lihu'e, which would be in August," Takekawa said. "But again, we're going to make sure our aircraft are here and operating well before we do any kind of expansion."

"We have a lesson well learned," he said.

Takekawa said Lingle, a former mayor of Maui County and resident of Moloka'i, had requested the meeting because she was "very concerned" about the service — "rightfully so," he said, "... because with Lana'i and Moloka'i, especially due to the isolated communities, she feels it's important we provide good service."

Island Air began operating as an independent airline in May after Aloha Airgroup Inc., parent of Aloha Airlines, sold the carrier to Gavarnie Holdings LLC.

Island Air immediately announced plans to launch the first of six new interisland routes, with service between Maui and Kona.

Advertiser staff writer Catherine E. Toth contributed to this report.