When I took the job at the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, I did not realize how much our work would involve crisis management, incident command and emergency response. From the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Ka Loko Dam tragedy or the
When I took the job at the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, I did not realize how much our work would involve crisis management, incident command and emergency response. From the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Ka Loko Dam tragedy or the recent closure of Aloha and ATA airlines, our office has done its best to respond in a moment’s notice.
On Saturday night, March 29, I received a heads-up call that Aloha Airlines would most likely announce its closure the next day and to get ready. Sure enough, Sunday morning, March 30, at 10:47 a.m., I received the Aloha press release, and the emergency plans began.
Edie Hafdahl, our senior director of sales, and I showed up at Lihu‘e Airport and worked through those passengers that needed extra information, assistance and advice. Our staff back in the office did their best to help the walk-in visitors with the “What do we do now?” questions, answered the phone calls and e-mails, and helped us distribute the most up-to-date flight information being offered to get people where they needed to be during the shut-down.
So many lives, at one time or another, have been touched by Aloha Airlines through its employees and corporate stewardship. Monday, March 31, was a very emotional time, and a few of us from Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau went down to the airport to say mahalo and goodbye.
Seeing that last Aloha plane leave the tarmac with employees waving goodbye brought us to tears. We extend our deepest mahalo nui loa to all those who worked for Aloha Airlines and served us so well over the years.
Kudos to Lihu‘e Airport Manager George “Manu” Crabbe and his great staff as well as Sharlene Mata of TSA and her diligent staff who had the airport running with little to no interruptions. Special thanks to the airlines who did their best to fill in the gaps of lost interisland and transpacific service.
It must be noted that despite being competitors, Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive of Hawaiian Airlines, and his wonderful employees did an amazing job with added staff and flights to keep our residents and visitors flying to their destinations.
The Aloha/ATA airlines crisis was another testament to our visitor industry coming together for as smooth a transition as could be expected during a difficult time.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority with its emergency funds for charter flights to get the 10,000 stranded passengers back in the air, the HVCB/Island Chapters with their joint messaging, and the properties with their distress rates all made for an effective emergency response and gave me great pride to be a part of the visitor industry.
• Sue Kanoho is the executive director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau. She can be reached at kauai@hvcb.org
