Amid busiest holiday travel season ever, Hawaii travel still soft

The Transportation Security Administration anticipates that this holiday travel season will be the busiest ever and is working closely with the airlines and airports to be better prepared. But Hawaii travel, which began seeing a softening travel demand prior to the Maui fires, is expected to be down from years’ past.

So far, daily Hawaii passenger arrival statistics are trending down; daily travel was down almost 4% on Saturday, Nov. 18, compared with last year, and as much as 7.2% on Sunday compared with last year. Compared with 2019, Saturday’s travel was down 9.9%, and Sunday’s was down 12.1%, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

“Thanksgiving is a little slower than normal. We are off a few points from last year,” Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, told West Hawaii Today.

Still, Hawaii’s airports are preparing for the rush of travelers, and the Hawaii Department of Transportation told SFGATE there will be no runway closures over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Based on reporting from the airlines, there are no major increases in the number of flights at Hawaii airports compared to last Thanksgiving,” a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Transportation told SFGATE in an email. “However, flights are expected to be fuller, meaning the airports will be busier, especially during peak times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The busiest travel day is expected to be Wednesday, followed by Sunday.”

The HDOT recommends that travelers arrive at least two hours prior to their scheduled departure flights to the continental U.S. and international destinations; and 90 minutes prior for interisland flights.

“Check with your airline on the status of your flight, including any delays, gate assignments and baggage claim area if you’re picking up arriving passengers,” the HDOT spokesperson said.