Mokulele Airlines is expected to launch its daily service flights between Kahului and Hana airports today, with one-way fares starting at $59.
The airline previously announced that it had formed a partnership with the Travaasa Hana hotel to begin twice-daily service and restore what officials say has been a decadelong hiatus in daily scheduled service to rural East Maui.
A blessing is scheduled for this morning at Kahului Airport, where the inaugural flight - on a nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft - will depart at 11:19 a.m.
Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa and state Sen. J. Kalani English, who represents East Maui and chairs the Senate Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, are scheduled to be part of an arrival ceremony along with hotel and airline officials.
While the airline and resort have teamed up for the venture, flights will be open to both hotel guests and the public. Terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
Hotel executives have said that the 20-minute one-way flights will provide an alternative to driving into Hana, which typically takes about two hours from Kahului.
Mokulele's daily flight schedule will include a morning flight that departs from Kahului Airport at 11:19 a.m. and arrives in Hana at 11:40 a.m. The plane will leave Hana at noon and arrive in Kahului at 12:21 p.m. An afternoon flight will depart Kahului at 4:14 p.m. and arrive in Hana at 4:35 p.m. It will leave Hana at 4:55 p.m. and arrive in Kahului at 5:16 p.m.
