HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – All remaining round-trip flights between Honolulu and Hilo were canceled Saturday due to Hurricane Hone, the state Department of Transportation announced.
The Department of Transportation said the Hilo International Airport terminal was open, but there would be no further flights from Hilo for the rest of the day.
Officials said the weather was deteriorating faster than previously expected and that morning flights would be rescheduled for Sunday.
“The captain announced that the winds were stronger than expected and it was unsafe for us to fly,” said Moani Van-Alst Wright, one of the affected passengers.
“Personally, I’m currently considering flying to Kona and driving there, but of course safety comes first.”
You can find more information about all flights to Hilo here.
Southwest Airlines officials said they are offering customers flexibility to rebook tickets that have a travel advisory in place from August 24-25 to the following locations: Hilo (ITO), Honolulu (HNL), Kahului (OGG), Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH).
They said they will continue to monitor weather conditions and encourage customers to check the status of their flight via the Southwest app or online for any schedule changes.
Meanwhile, locals and visitors to a hotel in Hilo received a letter warning of the approaching storm and the expected consequences.
“We’ve been preparing for the last four, five days. We’re testing generators. We’re checking batteries,” said Matt Pickett of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the island of Hawaii as Hone continues to move westward, potentially bringing torrential rain, damaging winds and strong surf this weekend.
This story is ongoing. Please check back later for updates.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
