Hawaii Seeks โคWaiver to Avoid Flight Disruptions โasโฃ Shutdown Impacts Air Travel
HONOLULU, HI – Novemberโข 6,โ 2025 – Hawaii transportation officials are working to minimize travel disruptions caused by federally โฃmandated flight reductionsโ stemming from the ongoing government shutdown. The state has formally requested โคa โwaiver from โคU.S. Transportation โSecretary Sean Duffy toโค allow Daniel K. Inouye โฃInternational Airport in Honolulu to โขcontinue operating at full capacity.
The Federal Aviation Management (FAA) is reducing air traffic atโข 40 high-volume markets โnationwide,including Honolulu,to alleviate strain on air traffic controllers working โขwithout pay as the shutdown began โon October 1st.
As of โขFriday,November 6th,ten โflights โhad โbeen canceled – two Southwest Airlines flights and eight โฃHawaiian โAirlines flights – impacting travel to โฃKona and Maui. Five additional flights, two operated by Southwest and three by Hawaiian,โ haveโ been canceled for Saturday, affecting service to Kona, maui, and Kauai.
hawaii Department of transportation (HDOT) Director Edโ Sniffen expressed optimism about the waiver request. “It’s big money, but it’s somethingโค that we can cover, especially if it’s considered during thatโค we’re โฃminimizing โthe potential to get impacted by this restriction,” Sniffen stated. “There’s several thingsโค we got to make sure that we understand howโค we can โget that funding to the airportโข to employees.”
The stateโ is preparedโฃ to provide โขapproximatelyโข $360,000 per month to cover the salaries of the 1,800 โair traffic controllers and โขTSA screeners inโค Hawaii during the shutdown, with the expectation of full reimbursement once federal funding is restored. โคSniffenโข confirmed that Hawaii airports haveโข not yet experienced anyโ staffingโค shortages or employee call-outs.
While cargo and internationalโฃ flightsโ remain unaffected, the flight reductions are impacting travelers. โKendall Leueholmstrom of Kailua shared her concerns that her father โคand grandparents might potentially โขbe unable to attend her weddingโ on Tuesday due to the cancellations. โ”What breaks my heart is โI’ve tried everythingโฃ to just make this so โimportant for our familyโฆbut I guess it was notโ meant to be,” she said.
Travelers โขare advised to closely monitor their flight status. Airlines are offering rebooking options on other flights โthe same day โor full โขrefunds forโ canceled trips.
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