LIHU‘E — The number of people getting off domestic flights at Lihu‘e Airport sank nearly 10 percent in April, despite a surge in the number of visitors to Kauai in the same period.
A total of 69,942 passengers deplaned domestic flights in April, compared with 77,483 in April 2022, according to data compiled by the state of Hawai‘i’s Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism. That marked a decrease of 9.73 percent in the period.
The most recent total was also the third straight month the passenger count was lower than the same period a year earlier; something that did not happen in 2022.
The downturn in the passenger count came amid a strong month for the tourism industry on Kaua‘i, as evidenced by a 15.1 percent increase in visitors to 122,585 in April from 106,544 in April 2022, according to a monthly report from the department.
“That’s hard to explain,” said Peter Fuleky, an economist with The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i, on the drop in passenger count and overall rise in visitors.
Part of the reason for the up and down numbers could be the methodology in calculating the passenger count. The count only includes passengers from direct domestic flights, including Kaua‘i residents returning home, and excludes visitors arriving by inter-island air.
That means visitors arriving 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. Cruise ships also account for a chunk of visitors to the Garden Island each month.
Of note, the domestic passenger count for May is tracking below May 2022, department data showed. The daily average through May 10 was 2,033. By comparison, the daily average for the same 10-day period in May 2022 was 2,250.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
