Some stranded Air Australia passengers began to make their way home from Hawaii on Friday on other carriers, but hundreds still remained following the abrupt shutdown Thursday of the startup airline.

A conference room at Hono­lulu Airport’s interisland terminal was set up to accommodate stranded travelers, and about 15 passengers were expected to spend Friday night there before departing today, according to David Uchi­yama, vice president of brand management for the Hawaii Tourism Authority. He said about 20 people spent Thursday night there, with many of those departing Friday.

HTA said Friday that almost all of the 500 to 600 stranded passengers have been able to make alternative flight arrangements, including getting a seat on Hawaiian Airlines, Qantas or Jet­star; redirecting through the West Coast, including Vancouver, British Columbia; and some redirecting through Japan. HTA could not provide any numbers about how many people had departed Friday, but Hawaiian Airlines said it took 55 Air Australia passengers on Friday to Sydney.

The YMCA offered its available rooms at three locations for free to stranded passengers, and as of 5 p.m. Friday there were 19 people who had taken up the YMCA on its offer. Mike Doss, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the YMCA of Hono­lulu, said the stranded passengers were expected to stay one to three days. He said rooms still are available at the Nuuanu, central and Atherton locations, but they are either men- or women-only rooms depending on the site.

Uchiyama said there is "very little space" available for lodging due to Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day weekend following closely together, as well as the Kaiser Permanente Great Aloha Run scheduled for Monday.

However, the HTA said it has been talking with the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association and that hotels are working with the visitors to try to extend stays for those who could not depart on their planned dates. In addition, the cancellation of incoming Air Australia flights has opened up some space in hotels.

Systemwide, Air Australia stranded about 4,000 people, including travelers in Thailand and Bali, and the Brisbane Times said it likely will take until early next week before everyone can make it back home. The newspaper said Air Australia also has sold about 100,000 tickets for future flights that are unlikely to take off.

Administrators say they will work through the weekend to try to find a "white knight" to save the airline and the jobs of its 300 workers, according to the Melbourne-based Herald Sun. However, the administrative company, KordaMentha, admitted it will be difficult to sell the business and say it might ultimately be put into liquidation, according to a report on ABC News in Australia.

At the Honolulu Airport conference room-turned-dormitory, airport personnel passed out bottled water and set up air mattresses for stranded passengers. The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii gave out blankets and pillows, and Host International offered chips, juice and fruit cups.

About 40 passengers showed up at the airport Friday morning of the 140 scheduled to depart on Air Australia’s now-canceled flight to Melbourne, HTA said. Another 168 were scheduled to leave today on Air Australia to Brisbane.

State Department of Transportation spokes­man Dan Mei­sen­zahl said with only 40 people showing up Friday for their flight on Air Australia, it’s likely word of the shutdown had gotten out to most of the others despite being on vacation.

"In today’s world with smartphones, I bet the word got to them somehow," he said. "But there still may be people who show up next week who don’t know about it, including those who arrived Thursday morning."

He said that in many cases family and friends of those stranded are booking return flights for them.

The American Red Cross also is working with the state DOT and tourism officials to determine whether and when additional shelter assistance will be made available.