Cracks in runway force closure of Kona Airport

Tuesday, 16 Jan, 2024 0

Hundreds of travelers remain stranded in Hawaii after Kona International Airport was forced to close due to cracks appearing in the runway.

It remained closed overnight Monday while emergency repairs are carried out.

Hawaii Department of Transportation officials say the earliest it will reopen is Tuesday.

Hundreds of travelers were stranded and are being urged to check with their airlines from Tuesday morning.

Cracks appeared in the asphalt which further deteriorated in heavy rain storms.

The damaged runway covers a 100 square feet area.

The area cannot be avoided for landing aircraft.

Late Monday, HDOT officials said it was working with contractors to repair the damage and get the runway reopened as soon as safely possible.

“Passengers with flights scheduled to arrive or depart January 15 and 16 are advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport,” the airport posted on X.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority said it has been working with stakeholders such as different island visitor bureaus, hotels, transport operators and airlines to provide options for stranded travelers.

“Our partners at the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii on each island are standing by to assist further if needed,” the HTA said.

“We are looking at how we can further support passengers in Kona who cannot depart this evening, as well as passengers in the air diverted.”

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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