HONOLULU (Hawaii News Now) — Hawaii’s rural communities received welcome news Thursday as federal subsidies for essential air service were extended through Nov. 2, providing a temporary reprieve for residents who depend on flights to access medical care and travel between islands.
Mokulele Airlines and its sister carrier on the continent received nearly $50 million annually in federal subsidies to provide Essential Air Service to rural communities, including Hana, Kalaupapa, and Lanai. The funding was set to lapse next week due to the federal government shutdown and failure to pass a budget.
For residents like Edgar Sahagan of Molokai, the airline service is critical.
“It’s the only way we can travel from island to island to go to the doctors or anyplace,” Sahagan said while awaiting a flight home after visiting a Honolulu doctor.
Airline commits to continued service
The federal Department of Transportation announced the nationwide extension of payments on Thursday. Mokulele’s parent company, Surfair Mobility, said in a statement that “despite the funding interruptions, they will continue flying all EAS routes with full scheduled service as planned. We are absorbing all operational costs during this unfunded period to ensure service continuity for the communities that depend on us.”
Despite the assurances, passengers remain nervous about potential service disruptions. Dean Spencer, a Molokai resident, said he had heard conflicting reports about flight cancellations.
“I’m hearing that you, that was gonna stop flights from and then, all kine stuff we hearing, but I found out that they’re not stopping Molokai,” he said.
State seeks alternative solutions
The uncertainty isn’t new for Mokulele passengers. Past disruptions have given the airline a poor reputation and led the state to invest $2 million in a pilot project to find an organization to coordinate with airlines and charter services to generate seats dedicated to patients and doctors.
Six months ago, the state announced it had awarded a contract to Pulama Ka Heke, a respected Molokai nonprofit. However, the contract hasn’t been finalized as key documentation from various partners hasn’t reached the state, according to Sen. Lynn DeCoite, who represents Molokai-Lanai-East Maui.
“I’m hoping that this does work out and that we take out the kinks as best as we can, and we try to do whatever we can to make this work,” DeCoite said.
Funding concerns remain
DeCoite expressed concern that the $2 million allocation won’t be sufficient to address the transportation challenges. She noted the stark cost difference between subsidized and charter flights.
“Because four seats can run me $120 one way versus me chartering an $8,000 nine-seater one-way,” DeCoite said. “So this is very touchy, I think, on how fast they’ll burn through this money.”
Meanwhile, the state has waived Mokulele’s landing fees at the smallest airports to help keep the airline operational if federal subsidies are ultimately cut.
The real impact of the federal shutdown on Hawaii’s rural air service won’t be known until the duration of the government funding crisis becomes clear.
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