An additional 420 seats to and from Lihu‘e Airport and Honolulu will be open starting tomorrow. That is the capacity of the 70-seat Embraer E170 jets that will touch down in Lihu‘e as Mokulele Airlines launches its inter-island service. According
An additional 420 seats to and from Lihu‘e Airport and Honolulu will be open starting tomorrow.
That is the capacity of the 70-seat Embraer E170 jets that will touch down in Lihu‘e as Mokulele Airlines launches its inter-island service.
According to the flight schedule both online and at the Lihu‘e Airport counter, there will be six flights daily coming from Honolulu Airport and six flights daily leaving Lihu‘e Airport.
That number is projected to increase to nine flights daily on Nov. 25.
From the Honolulu Airport, the first Mokulele flight departs at 5:20 a.m. with an arrival time of 5:57 a.m. at Lihu‘e except on Sundays. The final flight departs Honolulu at 5:45 p.m. with an arrival time of 6:22 p.m.
From Lihu‘e, the first flight leaves for Honolulu at 6:20 a.m. with an arrival time of 6:49 a.m. except on Sundays. The final flight leaving Lihu‘e is at 6:50 p.m. with an arrival time of 7:19 p.m.
Mokulele Airlines will be launching its inter-island service with flights to and from Kailua, Kona, its home base using the Embraer 170 jets.
Starting March 1, 2009, Mokulele Airlines is expected to add routes to Kahului, Maui.
Passengers can also fly the firm’s Cessna Caravan 208 for commuter service from Honolulu to Ho‘olehua, Moloka‘i, Kapalua, Maui, and Lana‘i City, Lana‘i.
“I’m very excited about this partnership with Republic Airways, an industry leader whose award-winning service is trusted by six network airlines,” said Bill Boyer, Mokulele Airlines CEO in an Oct. 15 release announcing the arrival of the new inter-island airlines. “Passengers will love the spacious cabin and comfortable seating of the E170.”
According to the release, the airline service agreement provides for Republic Airways’ subsidiary, Shuttle America, to operate up to four Embraer 170 jets configured with six first-class and 64 coach seats.
The Embraer 170 jets feature 6-foot 7-inch high ceilings, wider seats and aisles, and the two-seat a side layout ensures that every seat is either a window or an aisle seat.
Larger windows offer better view to passengers and increased overhead storage capacity means that more people can enjoy the convenience of simply walking-on and walking-off with a carry-on bag.
Yesterday morning, passengers within the Lihu‘e Airport buzzed with anticipation of the new arrival and Mokulele Airlines, Kaua‘i Island Station Managers Lana Simmons and Pua Camelo were knowledgeable about the operations and fielded questions without hesitation.
One prospective employee was referred to the Mokulele Airlines Web site where employment opportunities are posted and applications can be done online.
Boyer said the new partnership opens up job opportunities for displaced aviation industry professionals who lost their jobs when several airlines shut down operations earlier this year.
“We encourage former Aloha Airlines and ATA employees to apply for jobs with Mokulele,” he said.
The Lihu‘e Airport counter occupies half of the space once occupied by Aloha Airlines, and employees were in the midst of training in anticipation of the inaugural flight tomorrow.
Boyer also announced an inaugural flight special price of $49 plus taxes on flights booked online between Nov. 19 and Nov. 30.
“We announced that special price on Saturday, and Hawaiian Airlines and go! has already matched that price,” Boyer said in a phone interview from his Honolulu office.
Mokulele Airlines is a locally-owned and operated inter-island commuter airline based in Kailua, Kona. Founded in 1998 as Mokulele Flight Service, it was acquired by Boyer in 2005.
Today, the airline operates scheduled U.S. carrier service both independently and through participation in a code-share agreement. It offers tour flights as well as inter-island cargo service with its fleet of seven 208B Cessna Grand Caravans and operates 56 daily departures to seven cities in Hawai‘i.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
