Kauaians who must take to the skies as part of their jobs indicate no fear of flying over a year after terrorists commandeered commercial jet liners and deliberately crashed them in New York City and Washington, D.C. “You could get
Kauaians who must take to the skies as part of their jobs indicate no fear of flying over a year after terrorists commandeered commercial jet liners and deliberately crashed them in New York City and Washington, D.C.
“You could get killed here on the roads on Kaua’i,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau, explaining her fearless stance about taking to the skies.
Many other people, particularly visitors to Kaua’i from the West Coast, shared her bravery, and refused to let international terrorism keep them cowered at home.
They continued flying, and continued coming to Kaua’i, which helped this island survive economic devastation much better than O’ahu and other visitor destinations.
Kanoho’s son, though, was nervous about his mother flying, she said, especially immediately after last fall’s events, and given one of her initial post-nine-11 destinations: New York City.
But she had little apprehension. She did, however, cancel a planned April trip to New Delhi, India, where she had planned on attending a Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) meeting.
Going to unstable places, where Americans are prime targets for kidnapping, didn’t seem like the best idea, although she normally supports PATA events, she said.
Many others canceled their reservations for that event as well, said Kanoho.
The heightened airport security after the terrorist attacks also hasn’t been much of an inconvenience for her, either, she said.
Another frequent flyer, Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, could not be reached for comment about any potential fears of flying.
She had flown to Japan, promoting Kaua’i.
