LIHU‘E — The domestic passenger count climbed to its highest monthly total of the year in July, as Lihu‘e Airport welcomed more than 87,000 people to the island of Kaua‘i.
A total of 87,498 passengers off-boarded flights at the seaside transportation facility in July, compared with 84,191 in July 2023. That marked an increase of 3.92 percent, according to data compiled by the state of Hawai‘i’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
The busiest day last month was on Thursday, July 25, when the passenger count measured 3,187. The slowest day last month was on Monday, July 29, when the passenger count was 2,376. The daily average rose to 2,823 in July from 2,716 in July 2023.
The count only includes passengers from direct domestic flights, including Kaua‘i residents returning home, and excludes the thousands of visitors who arrive by inter-island air each month.
That means visitors who arrive from neighboring islands aren’t accounted for in the domestic deplanement total even if their flight originated in the Lower 48, nor are passengers on flights from Canada.
All told, the passenger count slid 4.56 percent to 480,693 in the seven-month period ended July 31 from 503,699 in the seven-month period ended July 31, 2023.
Of note, the domestic passenger count at Lihu‘e Airport notched its second highest total on record in 2023, despite a year-over-year drop in the number of people getting off those flights.
The passenger count weighed in at 832,739 for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2023, compared with a record 910,558 for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2022. That marked a decrease of 8.54 percent in the period.
