The Hawaii Tourism Authority has spent $500,000 so far to help fly stranded ATA and Aloha airlines' passengers home, the agency said today.

The HTA chartered nine, one-way flight airplanes and flew about 2,200 passengers to and from the Mainland, said Rex Johnson, HTA president and chief executive officer.

HTA's subsidy worked out to about $230 a ticket. The passengers' share varied, but averaged around $200 a ticket. The HTA last week approved $5 million in emergency funding for the charter flights.

Four of the legs were flown by Hawaiian Airlines, three by Panda Airlines and two by United Airlines.