Arrival from Japan turns Kona Airport international again

KAILUA-KONA >> It was six years in the making, but Hawaii island is finally on the international flight map again.

A white-tented temporary customs inspection station at Kona International Airport processed incoming visitors Wednesday after Hawaiian Airlines’ inaugural nonstop flight from Haneda International Airport in Tokyo touched down shortly after noon.

Music and hula dancers provided a festive atmosphere for the event that came after a years-long lobbying effort by government officials and community leaders, and several unsuccessful attempts by Hawaiian to get approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The near-capacity flight of about 280 arriving passengers onboard the Airbus A330 received lei, pupu and a commemorative Hawaiian Airlines tote bag filled with several items from local merchants.

“This is a tremendous day for the Big Island,” Gov. David Ige said in an interview minutes before addressing a group of more than 100 government, business and community leaders, and airline officials. “It’s an opportunity. We do know there is pent-up demand for international travel into the state of Hawaii, and Honolulu has been at maximum capacity at various times of the day. Kona International clearly, and the Big Island and West Hawaii specifically, will benefit tremendously because the (international) visitors who want to come to Hawaii will have a second option.”

Kona Airport also now can serve as a “reliever” airport where international flights could be re-rerouted in case of a hurricane or an emergency at Honolulu International Airport, Ige added.

The thrice-weekly Haneda-Kona service is expected to generate more than $50 million annually in direct spending, produce more than $7 million a year in direct tax contributions and create hundreds of jobs, according to Ige.

Hawaiian said it has hired 34 employees in Kona associated with the new flight operation.

The milestone flight by the state’s largest carrier marked the first nonstop service to Kona from Japan since October 2010, when Japan Airlines cut the route as part of its bankruptcy restructuring. Japan Airlines had offered a daily flight between Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and Hawaii island since June 1996.

Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian, said it was an uphill battle to get federal approval for the flight and to get U.S. Customs and Border Protection approval for the temporary facility. Customs officials now will fly from Honolulu to Kona three days a week to process the Japan arrivals. Five customs agents made the trip Wednesday.

“This idea (for a Haneda-Kona flight) first germinated six, seven years ago,” Dunkerley said. “We had a number of hills to climb. Some of them we had to climb largely alone. But most of them required a lot support, and that support was delivered. We got support from our congressional delegation that helped us get over the line in terms of getting the (DOT route) authority, and then once we had the authority, a lot of work had to be done on the ground to make sure we have the right facilities and the people to handle the flight. I give great kudos to the state Department of Transportation, which has done a terrific job.”

The current Kona inspection site will be upgraded over the next few weeks with $2 million in improvements, including the installation of security cameras, motion sensors, 10 passport kiosks and upgraded rest-rooms, according to Ige.

The state also plans to build a permanent $50 million inspection station at the Kona Airport that meets federal requirements.

“If we can get the appropriation from the Legislature, then we will be proceeding,” Ige said. “It will probably take three to five years to build the permanent facility.”

Hawaii island Mayor Harry Kim said restoring Kona as an international destination goes beyond the economic benefits.

“I feel it’s in context of what we want for the whole island — an international place, an image of international people,” he said.

Hawaii Tourism Authority CEO George Szigeti said the nonstop Kona service will help spread out visitors coming to the state.

“Right now this island has the smallest occupancy of any island — from 50 to 70 percent depending on the time of year,” he said. “We’d like to get more here during the (off-peak) periods. This will help us do that, and it won’t only help this side of the island. We have tremendous hotels and facilities (in Kona), but I think it’s going to really help the Hilo side as well because the drive is just not that far anymore. Hilo has its own unique attractions.”

Dunkerley said he is optimistic for the Haneda-Kona flight.

“It’s been very positive,” he said. “We’re starting in the middle of the peak season so the real test comes a little later on when we see how it is in the softer season. But so far, the early indications are very positive for the route, and so we have high hopes.”