2000-2009
Posted on Mar 24, 2015 in ChronologyCHRONOLOGY OF AVIATION IN HAWAII
2000
HNL ranked 23rd busiest in the United States and 39th in the world with 22,198,000 total passengers handled.
2000
Aloha Airlines initiated flight service from Honolulu to Oakland, California with new B737-700 aircraft which carried 124 passengers and became a milestone in the extended twin-engine operations category. The Oakland service was also provided to and from Kahului Airport.
2000
United Airlines initiated B777-200 service from the mainland west coast to Kahului, Maui providing 352 seats from the 7,000 foot runway. The B777-300 and older wide-body aircraft such as the DC-10 and L1011 continued to take a 15-25 percent penalty in gross aircraft takeoff weight without an extended runway.
2000
Governor Ben Cayetano, at the urging of the Airlines Committee of Hawaii, canceled plans to extend runways at Kahului, Lihue and Lanai Airports. He cited reasons of decreased airport revenues, improved aircraft technology and environmental factors.
2000
Construction at HNL included glass canopies over three ticket lobby entrances, refurbishing rest rooms in the Central Concourse, extending the Manu Wai Canal culvert to provide more useable hardstands and addition of electronic signs.
2000
Lihue Airport received a realigned Ahukini Road and lease lots.
2000
Kona Airport saw a new sewage treatment plant built.
2000
Kahului Airport repaved the main runway and started on an East Ramp sewer system.
2000
Harlequin Air Corporation initiated charter flights from Japan to HNL.
2000
Canadian Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in Honolulu.
2000
Kitty Hawk, Inc. discontinued air cargo service to Honolulu to be replaced by Pacific Air Cargo.
2000
American Trans Air introduced service from Los Angeles to Kahului, Maui.
2000
Continental Air Micronesia acquired new B737-700 aircraft to replace B727 aircraft on the Micronesia-Guam-Saipan-Tokyo and Taiwan routes.
2000
United Airlines opened a new $4.5 million reservations center at HNL and increased its San Francisco to Lihue flights to once per day.
2000
Polynesian Airlines resumed its two weekly flights between Honolulu and Apia, Western Samoa.
2000
American Airlines added a flight from San Jose, California to Kahului.
2000
There was a transfer of 329 acres of land containing parts of Runway 8L, Taxiways A, B and RB and the runway protection zone from the General Services Administration through the FAA to the State of Hawaii. Hickam AFB had declared the land surplus and the State acquired it at no cost. The HDOT Airports Division will maintain it for aeronautical purposes indefinitely into the future. This acquisition gives HNL total control and responsibility for all four runways and all taxiways except those on Hickam AFB. This acquisition was the result of seven years of negotiation with the Air Force.
2001 (June)
Hawaiian Airlines announced a plan to acquire 13 B717-200 aircraft to replace the DC-9-50s and started a San Diego to Honolulu daily flight.
2001 (11 Sept)
The year 2001 was a momentous year because of the aftermath of the Al Qaida terrorists on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C, on September 11, 2001 or 9/11/01. In the very early morning of September 11, 2001, Hawaii learned of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. Aircraft were received at State airports and grounded for three days while the federal government checked for threats and organized to respond to further attacks. When flights resumed, security had been tightened. Air National Guard aircraft were on patrol and the Coast Guard was checking the waters adjacent to Honolulu International Airport.
By the following month, Japan Airlines had cut 32 percent of its flights; Hawaiian Airlines cut 35 of 158 daily interisland flights and 22 of 120 weekly trans-Pacific flights. Aloha Airlines cut a similar number of interisland flights. All Nippon Airways ended its Honolulu flights and Northwest Airlines closed its Honolulu pilot base.
The year started out with a continued drop in passengers, particularly from Japan but some airlines were trying new initiatives. The State waived all landing fees for six and a half months.
On November 23, 2001, President Bush signed the Airport Safety and Security Act which provided assistance to airlines, established the Transportation Security Administration and allowed Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines a temporary anti-trust exemption to coordinate operations, schedules and security requirements.
2001
Hawaiian Airlines leased B767-300ER aircraft to replace the DC-10s for overseas flights.
2001
Aloha Airlines started service from Las Vegas to Honolulu with a connecting stop in Oakland and initiated service to and from Orange County, California.
2001
The State Legislature approved a bill to change the name of Dillingham Airfield to Kawaihapai, an early name for this portion of the North Shore of Oahu. The Army still owns the land and says the name of the airfield will remain named after Henry Gaylord Dillingham, a WWII B-29 pilot who was killed in action at Kawasaki, Japan in 1945. Oahu District will name the glider and parachute port Kawaihapai when the ceded land on the west end of the airfield is returned to the State in 2003 as directed by the U.S. Defense Appropriations Act of 1990.
2001
American Airlines added a second daily flight from Los Angeles to Kahului.
2001
Island Air closed its operations in Kahului and concentrated on operations to and from Kapalua Airport.
2001
Federal Express received the mail contract from the U.S. Postal Service.
2001
United Airlines added a fourth daily roundtrip to Maui from Los Angeles.
2001
Air Canada assumed the routes of Canadian Airlines which went out of business and increased capacity on its Vancouver-Honolulu-Sydney route by providing an Airbus A340 aircraft with 284 seats.
2001
Cruise ships started to impact airline reservations.
2001
Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to merge.
2001
Work continued on ticket lobby entrance and concourse improvements at HNL and a $4.2 million air conditioning project for noise attenuation was completed at Iroquois Point Elementary School.
2001
Hawaiian Airlines received $6.7 million in federal funds for post attack compensation and Aloha Airlines received $3.3 million.
2001
American Airlines completed its absorption of Trans-World Airlines.
2001
During 2001 there was a 12.5 percent reduction of passengers at HNL to just over 20 million which was 18 percent below the peak year of 1996. International passengers were down 17 percent from year 2000 and 25 percent of the interisland flights had been cut. Cargo and mail was 25 percent off. The terrorist activities of 9/11/01 had cost HNL a decade of growth.
2002 (1 April)
The HDOT Airports Division landing fee waiver ended on April 1, 2002.
2002
A good deal of effort was put forth by the HDOT Airports Division to provide baseline data for the U.S. Department of Justice for the Aloha-Hawaiian merger and Legislative hearings were held. By March of 2002 the merger effort was dead.
2002
Continental Airlines launched a second daily service between Honolulu and Houston.
2002
United Airlines added a connection to Honolulu from Denver, brought back two red-eye flights to the Mainland West Coast and dabbled in discount fares.
2002
Hawaiian Airlines added service between Seattle and Kahului.
2002
Japan Airlines increased its daily flights from Tokyo from two to three daily. Aloha Airlines began service from Burbank, California and from Vancouver to Honolulu.
2002
Hawaiian Airlines started daily service between Honolulu and Phoenix.
2002
Total passengers at HNL slipped two percent from 2001 to 19.75 million in 2005. This was 18.8 percent below the peak year of 1996. Forty-four percent of this drop was in international passengers but the remainder was interisland passengers due to major reductions in flights by Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines.
2002
HNL handled 368,665 tons of cargo, 88,324 tons of mail and 323,726 air operations.
2002
According to Airports Council International, HNL ranked 44th in the world in passengers handled and 24th in the U. S. in 2001. In cargo HNL ranked 50th and in air operations HNL ranked 38thamongst all airports in the world.
2002
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) took over airport security for passenger screening and for checked baggage screening. TSA hired about 1,000 people statewide. This resulted in the retirement/resignation of many experienced managers from the HDOT Airports Division who transferred to new positions with TSA. Airports Division coped with this situation but operated with a 14 percent vacancy rate.
2002
HDOT Airports Division looked ahead toward a new Duty Free Contract and perhaps a new relationship with airlines and all tenants.
2002
A War on Terrorism had been declared, airport security had been tightened and air traffic was significantly reduced.
2003 (Dec)
The 100th Anniversary of Powered Flight was celebrated at Kalaeloa Airport with more than 60 aircraft on display.
2003
All commercial airports in the State continued to cope with new security procedures of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Passenger screening lanes were added and improved at HNL, OGG, KOA, LIH and ITO. Baggage inspection equipment was added at HNL with additional electrical circuits. The major Hawaiian airports assisted TSA in meeting its passenger screening standards and 100 percent screening of checked baggage requirements.
2003
HNL handled 18.7 million passengers, 427,000 tons of cargo and mail and 302,000 air operations in 2003, all decreases from the previous year. International arrivals dropped to 1.92 million.
2003
Major construction at HNL included ticket lobby canopies, Wiki Wiki Roadway strengthening and handicapped barrier removal.
2003
The terminal roof at Hilo (ITO) was replaced.
2003
General aviation areas at Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH) were improved.
2003
A new runway lighting system was installed at Molokai (MKK).
2004
A major project was initiated at HNL to provide a new central six-lane passenger checkpoint along with realignment of concessions.
2004
Four additional security inspection lanes were also provided in the Interisland Terminal at HNL.
2004
Traffic at HNL increased to 19.4 million passengers, 478,000 tons of cargo and mail and 320,520 air operations. Revenue was $160.5 million and operating costs were $86.2 million.
2004
The Ukrainian Antonov 225, the world’s largest aircraft with a gross maximum takeoff weight of 1.3 million pounds landed twice at HNL to carry oversize cargo to the mainland USA.
2004
Harmony Airlines initiated daily service from Vancouver to Honolulu and to Maui.
2004
Delta Airlines added service to HNL from Cincinnati and Atlanta.
2004
China Airlines reinitiated flights from Taipei.
2004
Hawaiian Airlines added several flights to the mainland and Sydney by B767-300.
2004
Aloha Airlines added mainland flights by B737-700s.
2004
Interisland air traffic was still reduced and at higher fares.
2005
Air traffic to HNL increased to 20.1 million passengers, including 2.14 million international arrivals, 498,000 tons of cargo and mail, and 330,506 air operations. Revenue at HNL was $170 million with operating costs at $86.6 million
2005
The Overseas Terminal Improvement Project at HNL continued with the opening of six security inspection lanes at Checkpoint 3.
2005
Three new aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks were received and put into service at HNL.
2005
Eva Air returned to HNL from Taipei.
2005
American West Air/US Air initiated service to Honolulu and Maui from Phoenix.
2005
Seven inspection booths were added to the Immigration floor of the International Arrivals Building at HNL which increased the capacity back to 2,800 passengers per hour and decreased waiting times which had increased after 9/11/2001 due to increased security measures.
2005
Airline productivity increased at HNL and several airlines were ready to emerge from bankruptcy.
2006
Vintage warplanes join displays at museum to honor Pacific air combat.
2006
Island Air began and started a flight fare war between Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines.
2007
Hawaii’s airplane pioneer Stanley C. Kennedy Jr., a leader in promoting Hawaii and a visitor destination in the 1960’s and ’70s passes away.
2007
Single engine failure leads to Hawaii Air Ambulance plane crash in Maui, killing 3 passengers. Lack of proper training contributes to crash. Hawaii Air Ambulance updates to more modern planes and restructures the training.
2008
National Guard Pilot ejected from an F-15 about 60 miles off Oahu after the aircraft experienced problems. The pilot was not seriously injured.
2008
Aloha Airlines goes out of business
2009
Hawaiian Airlines brought back the first plane used for their 80th anniversary, the Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.