Airport Delays

[TomK]

I have a slightly different take on things if what's reported in the KHON2 article is correct: the airport was closed at 4:20 pm so there was no option for airlines to land their aircraft there. Several flights would have already taken off at that time, so the only sensible option is to divert to another airport in Hawaii with the capabilities to handle several diverted planes. Hilo isn't one of them.