Airlines Decrease Hawaii Service

Getting to Hawaii is getting a little harder: Continental Airlines' non-stop daily service from Orange County to Honolulu and Maui was launched in March, but the flights will be suspended for "a short period of time" when, we hear, there is traditionally less demand (September 12 through November 20 for Honolulu and September 12 through December 16 for Maui).

More worrisome is Japan Airlines' Kona route. Japan Airlines, which is currently in bankruptcy, is considering the suspension of its Kona route as part of its reorganization plan. The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has assured us that they are "actively working in collaboration with the County of Hawaii and the Big Island Visitors Bureau to see how the state, city and visitor industry can assist to ensure the Narita-Kona flight continues to be beneficial to all parties."

Mike McCartney and David Uchiyama from the HTA, along with Hawaii Island Mayor Billy Kenoi and George Applegate, executive director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau, will be traveling to Japan Tuesday, April 13 to meet with JAL executives to discuss this matter and what can be done to keep the airlines flying.