Interisland commuter Makani Kai Air will begin operating from a new terminal starting Sept. 4.
The facility, at 100 Kaulele Place, is four times the size of the airline’s previous terminal.
“We’re excited to be moving the airline operation to a new home,” Makani Kai Air President Richard Schuman said Tuesday in a statement. “It is purpose-built and will be better able to handle the daily traffic and unique requirements of interisland air travel.”
Makani Kai, which offers fixed $50 one-way fares and flies between Honolulu, Molokai and Maui, said the move from 130 Iolana Place was necessitated by the airline’s increase in passengers over the past two years.
In the last 12 months alone, Schuman said, Makani Kai has carried more than 100,000 passengers, a 25.6 percent increase from the year-earlier period.
The new building includes more than 40,000 square feet under cover, including a passenger and baggage drop-off area, as well as 70 parking stalls. The facility also offers improved aircraft access to the airport’s south ramp. The building includes enough hangar space to accommodate two aircraft indoors for maintenance.
“It’s been helpful to operate our airline for a few years in our current location to determine what would work best in a new facility,” Schuman said. “We’ve learned a lot and this new building includes many passenger amenities that have been lacking, such as charging stations for phones and iPads, more flat-screen televisions and panoramic views of the runways.”
Makani Kai offers 12 daily round trips between Honolulu and topside Molokai; six round trips between Hoolehua, Molokai, and Kahului; and 10 daily flights between Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hoolehua and Honolulu.