KAILUA-KONA — The first international flights between Kona and Japan in a half-dozen years could be touching down later in 2016, under an agreement for a new Hawaiian Airlines route to Haneda airport in Tokyo announced Friday.
And a new state request to reopen federal inspections at Kona International Airport could pave the way for West Hawaii as the state’s second international gateway — with potential for flights from around the globe.
The U.S. Department of Transportation approved Hawaiian’s application for three flights a week between Haneda and Kona and four flights between Haneda and Honolulu. The state Department of Transportation is requesting federal Customs and Border Protection officials approve the return of a temporary inspections station to Kona, and Gov. David Ige’s administration will make approval of that facility a priority, his staff said Friday.
The return of international flights has been a dream of politicians and business interests since Japan Airlines pulled out of Kona in 2010, helping precipitate the shuttering of a federal inspections station that didn’t meet federal security requirements.
Hawaiian plans to fly the route with A330 Airbuses capable of carrying 278 passengers in first/business class, extra comfort class and coach. Flights could start as early as October, and must be underway by the end of January 2017 under the terms of the agreement.
Mike McCartney, Ige’s chief of staff and former director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said the new Kona route gives momentum to building Hawaii Island’s tourism and also Ige’s desire to have a second international port of entry at Kona.
“Our long-term tourism strategy is to have greater distribution to the Neighbor Islands,” McCartney said. “This is a great first step.”
Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley estimated the new Kona flights will generate $35 million in visitor spending and $12.5 million in wages and benefits annually.
“This is tremendous news for Hawaiian Airlines, for our employees, our customers and for the economies of Kona and our entire state,” Dunkerley said in a statement. “Flights between Hawaii and Japan are the most traveled and most beneficial to the U.S. economy, so being able to expand the number that we can offer to Tokyo’s Haneda airport is especially important.”
The announcement by the airlines is sure to push the lack of a federal inspections facility at the Kona airport to the forefront in coming days and weeks, lawmakers say.
In fact, it already has.
Because the state Department of Transportation is months and possibly years away from having a planned customs facility built at KOA, flights to Kona will first have to dock at Honolulu for customs processing before continuing on to the Big Island. That’s unless a temporary solution can be worked out with Customs and Border Protection, Kohala Rep. Cindy Evans said.
“If you time it right, you don’t have to wait for customs in Honolulu, and it’ll be a breeze,” Evans said. “If you do it at the wrong time, you could be waiting an hour.”
DOT will do its best to bring temporary inspection facilities back to Kona, spokesman Tim Sakahara said. But the timeline isn’t clear.
“The announcement regarding a new international flight to Kona is positive news for the State of Hawaii,” Sakahara said in an email. “HDOT will continue to work closely with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to construct a permanent facility that meets all safety and security standards. In the meantime, HDOT has asked permission to reopen the temporary facility while a permanent building is being constructed. At this time it is premature to make any assessment on the timeline until we hear from CBP.”
DOT Director Ford Fuchigami and Ige are engaged in discussion with the feds on a solution, McCartney said. Ige was traveling on the mainland and was not able to immediately respond to media.
Staffing and security issues must be addressed at KOA as part of bringing inspections back, McCartney said.
“We are demonstrating we are committed to the long term and will not be satisfied with a temporary facility,” he said. “Our long-term plan is to have federal employees live in Kona and staff the inspections station. But step one is federal approval of a temporary facility. That is our priority.”
Hawaiian tried unsuccessfully at least twice before to add the same route.
Federal and local lawmakers applauded a development they called for repeatedly.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said the route is a result of an agreement the United States finalized with Japan earlier this year to expand the number of routes between Haneda and the U.S. from four to six.
“It is important to keep in mind there are five more routes up for competition, and I will continue to strongly advocate for Hawaiian Airlines in their effort to secure more direct flights from Tokyo to Hawaii,” Schatz said. “Hawaiian has a proven record of success in the Tokyo market and there continues to be tremendous demand to fly into Hawaii.”
Hawaiian applied for the routes in April and last week pressed Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to immediately approve the application.
“Hawaiian, and Hawaiian alone, requested the nighttime slot pair, and the department finds that prompt approval of Hawaiian’s request is consistent with the public interest,” Foxx wrote Friday.
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono sent a letter to Foxx urging him to approve the flights. Friday, Hirono said in a statement that the approval is “good for Hawaii’s visitor industry and an important first step in restoring direct service from Kona International Airport to Japan.”
Mayor Billy Kenoi — who has made increased airlift a priority of his administration — said the added direct lift not only will bolster the island’s economy by bringing more visitors, it’ll also open niche markets for shipping local products directly to Japan, increasing freshness and reducing cost.
“Our economy is uniquely tied to air service,” Kenoi said. “Thousands of our working families depend on the visitor industry, not only at resorts and hotels, but also at attractions, activities, restaurants and retailers. This is great news for our state, and especially for Hawaii Island.”
Between 120,000 and 140,000 Japanese visitors landed in Kona annually during the past few years, according to state tourism figures. But there were 180,000 Japanese visitors in 2005, and 170,000 the year before that.
Kirsten Kahaloa, executive director of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, said the new route is a huge boost for tourism and will bring much-needed jobs.
“I believe that this news will prompt a quicker turnaround to get the federal inspection station completed in a timely manner,” she said. “The FIS will also encourage other airlines, like Japan Airlines and others, to choose Kona as a destination flight.”
The U.S DOT has yet to decide which of four competing airlines will receive approval for five other available daytime slots at Haneda. Hawaiian is applying to have its existing Haneda to Honolulu route approved.
Email Bret Yager at byager@westhawaiitoday.com.
