HONOLULU — International travel to Hawai‘i resumed Friday with the arrival of 64 travelers from Japan on an All Nippon Airways flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
The visitors are the first to take part in the state’s pre-travel-testing program that now includes both domestic trans-Pacific travelers and those from Japan.
At a morning news conference, held while the passengers were clearing customs and taking mandatory steps to prevent the spread of infectious disease, Gov. David Ige said, “Today we welcome additional visitors from Japan who are participating in the pre-travel-testing program. This allows us to revive our economy while keeping our community, the people who work here, and those in the hospitality industry safe.”
Lt. Gov. Josh Green expressed his excitement, saying, “This program helps us welcome back friends and loved ones traveling from Japan, thanks to the governor’s strong leadership. We are excited to reunite people and restore some hope.”
The pre-travel testing program for incoming travelers to Hawai‘i is part of a layered program that includes thermal screening of all passengers at arrival gates and receiving a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of their flight to Hawai‘i to bypass the 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Upon returning to Japan, travelers are subject to quarantine. Most U.S. citizens are currently restricted from traveling to Japan.
Eric Takahata, with Hawai‘i Tourism Japan, called Friday a “momentous day.” He said the arrival of the first international flight under the pre-travel-testing program is exciting and people should be proud that the incredibly hard work of both Hawai‘i’s and Japan’s leaders and the hospitality industry made this possible.
He also singled out the work of state House Speaker Scott Saiki, state Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism Director Mike McCartney, and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority President and CEO John De Fries for their coordination.
ANA, Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines have a total of eight flights from Japan to Honolulu this month.
ANA has another flight scheduled to arrive on Nov. 20. Japan Airlines flights are scheduled for Nov. 10 and 23.
Hawaiian Airlines flights from Japan are scheduled for each Saturday in November.
The state is working with the governments of Canada, South Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand as the next international destinations to resume travel under the Safe Travels Program.
While starting slowly, Green cited statistics that demonstrate the economic power of international travel to Hawai‘i.
“A single Airbus at 85% passenger capacity is estimated to bring spending of $105 million to Hawai‘i, generating $12 million in taxes and supporting 1,100 jobs,” Green said.
“A single Airbus at 85% passenger capacity is estimated to bring spending of $105 million to Hawai‘i, generating $12 million in taxes and supporting 1,100 jobs,” (Lt. Gov.) Green said.
I don’t know where Lt. Gov. Green learned math, but his is pretty interesting. According to SeatGuru, ANA flies an Airbus A380 capable of carrying 480 passengers. 85% of that number is 408. In order for 408 tourists (Green’s 85% capacity) to spend the $105 million dollars Green claims, each man woman and child on the plane would have to spend over $257,000. Yeah, I’ve seen some big spenders in Hawaii, but never quite like that.
I think that comment’s context was for a weekly trip of that one plane in service for a year. It was a terrible quote. But that one plane supporting 1100 jobs is what suggests the yearly context. If you follow your math as I think it was supposed to be meant, you get about $5k, which seems reasonable.