Mokulele to expand fleet for Molokai, Lanai
Commuter airline hopes to have new aircraft ready by middle or end of May
Mokulele Airlines, a longtime commuter airline that primarily flies nine-seater aircraft, plans to bring in two 30-passenger planes to help fly routes from Molokai and Lanai to Oahu following the departure of ‘Ohana by Hawaiian last year. The Saab 340 is painted with the logo of Southern Airways, which acquired Mokulele in 2019. — Photo courtesy of Mokulele
The interior of a 30-passenger Saab 340 is shown. Mokulele Airlines officials say the larger seats and cabin space will allow wheelchair-bound passengers and passengers of size to board and travel more easily. — Photo courtesy of Mokulele
Mokulele Airlines, a longtime commuter airline that primarily flies nine-seater aircraft, plans to bring in two 30-passenger planes to help fly routes from Molokai and Lanai to Oahu following the departure of ‘Ohana by Hawaiian last year. The Saab 340 is painted with the logo of Southern Airways, which acquired Mokulele in 2019. — Photo courtesy of Mokulele
The interior of a 30-passenger Saab 340 is shown. Mokulele Airlines officials say the larger seats and cabin space will allow wheelchair-bound passengers and passengers of size to board and travel more easily. — Photo courtesy of Mokulele
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Mokulele Airlines hopes to bring in two 30-passenger planes by the middle or end of May that will help transport high school athletic teams, wheelchair-bound residents and passengers of size from Molokai and Lanai to Oahu.
The airline has been planning to expand its fleet since 'Ohana by Hawaiian and its 48-seat aircraft permanently ended service to Molokai and Lanai last year.
"Prior to 'Ohana going out, we never thought about a larger aircraft," Mokulele Executive Vice President Richard Schuman said Tuesday. "That's not our business model."
But, Schuman said, with the demand on Molokai and the void left by 'Ohana, "we had to step up to help."
The 30-passenger Saab 340 planes will not replace the nine-seat Cessnas that Mokulele flies but will complement them at peak times, such as Fridays when "every single seat is sold out" and Mondays when people are returning after a weekend away, Schuman said.
Mokulele is considering one round trip a day between Molokai and Oahu and one round trip a day between Lanai and Oahu; the market between these islands and Maui isn't large enough to fly the aircraft to the Valley Isle on a regular basis, Schuman said.
However, the airline plans to offer charter options for Molokai and Lanai sports teams as well as other large groups flying to Maui, Schuman said.
Mokulele will have four pilots for the two planes and is also planning to hire four to six cabin attendants along with mechanics and ground crew. All told, there could be about a dozen more ground personnel between Molokai, Lanai and Oahu.
Two of the pilots, who were already working for Mokulele, left last week for training on the Mainland that should take about three weeks. They'll then have to do "proving runs" with the Federal Aviation Administration on future routes between Oahu, Lanai and Molokai, Schuman said.
The airline is also working to get parking spots for the larger aircraft at the already-crowded Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
"That's probably the biggest challenge we have right now because they take up so much room, and especially in Honolulu, they don't have a parking spot for us," Schuman said. "So we're working with the state on that."
Over the past few years, Molokai and Lanai residents have steadily watched their transportation options dwindle with the loss of the Molokai ferry and later 'Ohana by Hawaiian, both of which were capable of carrying large cargo and big groups.
Mokulele and the Schuman-founded Makani Kai, the two main commuter airlines serving Lanai and Molokai, merged in 2020 and became the sole passenger carrier for the two islands when 'Ohana by Hawaiian ended service there in 2021.
To offer some of the services that the bigger aircraft once provided, Mokulele lifted its weight limit and installed special seats capable of carrying passengers weighing over 400 pounds. It also borrowed 'Ohana's ramp to help wheelchair-bound passengers board, but the small nine-seat planes aren't ideal for accessibility.
"We don't want to say no, so we've figured out how to accommodate them," Schuman said. "That's the best we have to work with until the big aircraft arrive."
Mokulele had been planning to bring in a 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900 but decided on the 30-passenger Saab aircraft instead "after thinking through the whole Molokai and Lanai challenge," Schuman explained. "Having lift capacity when the islands need it is important, like groups, school events."
While global shipping issues did hold up painting of the aircraft because the paint shop couldn't get materials, Schuman said "it wasn't really wasted time" because Mokulele was busy working on the FAA-required manuals that outline the operations of each plane.
The new 30-passenger planes will be painted with the logo of Southern Airways, which acquired Mokulele in 2019, to help differentiate it from the smaller nine-seat aircraft "so that people would not be confused when booking," said Keith Sisson, chief of staff for Mokulele.
Schuman said "this whole thing was done because of Molokai people," who rely on off-island services and goods. He said he's been posting pictures and updates of the new planes on a Molokai Facebook page "just to let them know this isn't pie in the sky."
"It's not a quick process, but getting them here is a big hurdle, and it's a morale booster for the Molokai people," he said.
* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.