09-24-2016, 09:33 AM
"The introduction of overseas service to General Lyman Field initially met with success. Joining United Airlines and Pan American Airways in providing nonstop service to Hilo from the west coast of the U.S. were Braniff, Continental, Northwest Orient, and Western Airlines. The number of overseas passengers flying through Hilo peaked at 313,428 in 1971 and remained between 250,000 and 300,000 for most of the decade. Beginning in 1979, however, overseas passenger traffic began to fall steadily, leading one carrier after another to suspend service to Hilo. By the mid-1980s overseas traffic had fallen by such an extent that United Airlines, the sole remaining overseas carrier, terminated scheduled service on December 1, 1986. The number of overseas passengers travelling to Hilo had declined in each of the previous eight years. During the first eleven months of 1986, United Airlines had served a mere 20,914 passengers in Hilo.[11] Hilo would be left without a direct connection to North America for nearly two decades... Hilo International Airport has two runways. Runway 8-26 is 9,800 ft × 150 ft (2,987 m × 46 m) and is used for nearly all air carrier operations. It is capable of accommodating overseas passenger service by aircraft as large as the Boeing 747 and is used occasionally by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, a military transport.[16] Runway 3/21 is 5,600 ft × 150 ft (1,707 m × 46 m) and is used for general aviation operations including take-off and landing of smaller commuter airplanes." (wikipedia)
Japanese airlines have floated the idea of direct flights to Hilo in the recent past but the tour companies refuse to put their customers into any of the Hilo hotels.... seems the hotel situation is slowly evolving.
As far as putting 400 passengers into the Hilo departure area... is Kona any better? I think those Kona outside holding corrals are just as small and worse yet most of the square footage is directly under Kona's baking sun. Not to mention KOA is consistently rated in the "top 10 worst airports" every year.
ETA: Thought this was interesting as well: "The primary reason for Hilo International Airport's relatively stagnant passenger count is the lack of tourism within the airport's service area, which includes the districts of Hilo and Puna, as well as portions of the districts of Hamakua and Ka'u, relative to the Kona district and Kohala district and the islands of Kauai and Maui. In 2008, visitor hotel rooms and condominiums on Hawaii island totaled 11,240 units. Of these, 9,576 (85.2%) were in the districts of Kona and Kohala. A mere 1,635 (14.5%) were within the districts of Hamakua, Hilo, and Puna.[19] In 2008, the respective numbers of visitor accommodations on Maui and Kaua#699;i were 19,055 and 9,203.[20] In fact, whereas the number of visitor accommodations elsewhere in the state climbed steadily since the 1970s, in east Hawaii island several hotels have been shuttered or converted into apartments or condominiums."
Japanese airlines have floated the idea of direct flights to Hilo in the recent past but the tour companies refuse to put their customers into any of the Hilo hotels.... seems the hotel situation is slowly evolving.
As far as putting 400 passengers into the Hilo departure area... is Kona any better? I think those Kona outside holding corrals are just as small and worse yet most of the square footage is directly under Kona's baking sun. Not to mention KOA is consistently rated in the "top 10 worst airports" every year.
ETA: Thought this was interesting as well: "The primary reason for Hilo International Airport's relatively stagnant passenger count is the lack of tourism within the airport's service area, which includes the districts of Hilo and Puna, as well as portions of the districts of Hamakua and Ka'u, relative to the Kona district and Kohala district and the islands of Kauai and Maui. In 2008, visitor hotel rooms and condominiums on Hawaii island totaled 11,240 units. Of these, 9,576 (85.2%) were in the districts of Kona and Kohala. A mere 1,635 (14.5%) were within the districts of Hamakua, Hilo, and Puna.[19] In 2008, the respective numbers of visitor accommodations on Maui and Kaua#699;i were 19,055 and 9,203.[20] In fact, whereas the number of visitor accommodations elsewhere in the state climbed steadily since the 1970s, in east Hawaii island several hotels have been shuttered or converted into apartments or condominiums."