The Maui News

Mokulele Airlines has added new flights between Honolulu and Lanai City and lifted passenger weight limits in response to rising demand and a need for interisland transport after the suspension of air service by ‘Ohana by Hawaiian.

The airline now offers 23 peak-day flights from Molokai and nine from Lanai, including six to Honolulu and three to Kahului, according to a news release. Mokulele said it has revised its schedule three times in the two weeks since it became the sole airline serving Molokai and Lanai; the latest update creates an earlier morning and later evening flight between Honolulu and Lanai City.

‘Ohana by Hawaiian stopped flights to Molokai and Lanai earlier this month, prompting Mokulele to increase its own capacity in response to greater demand from people making same-day trips between the islands.

The airline also said that it has been working with Rep. Lynn DeCoite and Sen. J. Kalani English on securing the use of the ramps left behind by ‘Ohana. Accessibility to Mokulele’s smaller aircraft, especially for wheelchair-bound passengers, had been a concern for county and state lawmakers after ‘Ohana stopped service.

“We were custom-building ramps to the airplane for heavier people and those who have difficulty climbing steps,” Richard Schuman, executive vice president of Mokulele, said in a news release Tuesday.

Mokulele said it can immediately offer this service to passengers who need the assistance.

The airline also dropped its passenger weight limits and worked with engineers to provide a special double seat capable of carrying a passenger weighing over 400 pounds. The seat is twice the size of normal seats and will be installed prior to each flight on an as-needed basis. Passengers weighing more than 400 pounds must book their seats through the Mokulele Call Center and inform the agent of their need for the double seat, which is available on flights operating prior to 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m. The fare for the double seat is a flat $130 per segment, since two regular passenger seats must be removed, the airline said. Passengers must be able to walk on to the aircraft using a ramp.

“Air transportation is essential to our island communities and something I feel we have taken for granted,” DeCoite, who represents Molokai, Lanai and East Maui, said in the news release. “These past few weeks have been a reality check for all of us. I truly appreciate Mokulele working hard to solve these issues so that people in our rural communities can continue to have reliable air service.”

Mokulele also said it has lowered its rates, effective last week, and that its maximum fare will never exceed $125, even on peak days when flights are mostly sold out. Most fares on Molokai and Lanai are priced between $56 and $89, and passengers who book early have the highest probability of securing the lowest possible fare, since prices increase as the planes fill up, the airline said.

To contact Mokulele’s 24/7 Customer Service Center, call (808) 495-4188. Booking fees are waived for passengers over 400 pounds and for group or family bookings of four people or more.