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Mokulele Adds Flights to Lāna‘i

Mokulele Airlines has added an earlier morning and later evening flight between Honolulu and Lāna‘i City as part of a revised schedule to meet the needs of the rural community.

Mokulele became the sole airline serving Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i on Jan. 15, 2021, when ‘Ohana by Hawaiian suspended operations.

Airline representatives say the additional Lāna‘i flights are in response to greater demand from people making same-day trips between the islands. The new total of daily departures from Lāna‘i is nine: six to Honolulu and three to Kahului.

No Passenger Weight Limit

Mokulele is also working with elected officials to provide more flight options for people with special needs.

“We were custom-building ramps to the airplane for heavier people and those who have difficulty climbing steps,” said Richard Schuman, Executive Vice President of Mokulele. “Representative Lynn DeCoite and Senator J. Kalani English worked with ʻOhana Airlines to allow Mokulele to use the ramps left behind by the out-going carrier.”

Mokulele reports it can immediately offer this service to passengers who need the assistance.

In response to the need to fly passengers-of-size, Mokulele has worked with engineers to provide a special double-seat, capable of carrying a passenger weighing over 400 pounds. The seat is twice the size of normal seats and will be installed prior to each flight on an as-needed basis. Passengers weighing over 400 pounds must book their seats through the Mokulele Call Center and inform the agent of their need for the double seat at the time of booking. Passengers weighing over 400 pounds must travel on flights that operate prior to 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

The fare for the double seat is a flat $130 per segment, since two regular
passenger seats must be removed to accommodate it. There is currently no weight limit for passengers, but they must be able to walk on to the aircraft using a ramp.

“Air transportation is essential to our island communities and something I feel we have taken for granted. These past few weeks have been a reality check for all of us,” said Representative Lynn DeCoite, Hawai‘i House District 13. “I truly appreciate Mokulele working hard to solve these issues so that people in our rural communities can continue to have reliable air service.”

Lower Fares for Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i

The airline also announced a price drop that took effect last week for routes to and from both Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i.

According to an airline press release: “Now that Hawaiian has exited many markets, Mokulele has reduced that maximum fare, so that the highest fare will never exceed $125, even on peak-days when flights are mostly sold out. (Most fares on Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are priced between $56 and $89.) Passengers who book early have the highest probability of securing the lowest possible fare, since fares increase as the planes fill up.”

Mokulele Airlines currently has 23 peak-day flights from Moloka‘i and nine from Lāna‘i.

Original source: https://mauinow.com/2021/01/27/mokulele-adds-flights-to-lanai-lower-fares-for-molokai-and-lanai-no-passenger-weight-limit/