Makani Kai Air expands Molokai service

Makani Kai Air has taken delivery of a new aircraft and said it will expand its daily round-trip flights between Honolulu and Molokai beginning Friday.

The Honolulu-based airline is adding six round-trip flights a day. It will double its total number of round trips on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to 12 from six while increasing its round trips on Fridays to 19 from 13 and its round trips on Sundays to 17 from 11. The additional flights only pertain to Molokai Airport. The airline’s Kalaupapa flight schedule remains the same.

“We are encouraged by the growing support from the Molokai community,” said Richard Schuman, president of Makani Kai Air. “The people of Molokai have embraced our service to the point that, on some days, there is not a single empty seat remaining.”

Makani Kai, whose flights are always $50 one way, recently took delivery of its fourth nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan turbine aircraft. It also operates a twin-engine, nine-seat Piper Chieftain.

Makani Kai also operates flights between Molokai and Maui.

The airline is located at 130 Iolana Place along Lagoon Drive. Passengers can arrive just 15 minutes prior to departure and they don’t have to go through a security line.