Trending
Mokulele Airlines has been awarded a four-year, $19.4 million federal contract to continue providing scheduled air service between Lanai, Honolulu and Kahului.
Mokulele's parent company, Surf Air Mobility, announced the contract in a Monday news release.
The company said the Essential Air Service contract from the U.S. Department of Transportation runs through August 2030. Under the contract, Mokulele will operate 63 round trips, or 126 flights, each week. The schedule includes 42 weekly round trips between Lanai and Honolulu and 21 between Lanai and Kahului.
Mokulele was selected through a competitive process. The Department of Transportation cited the airline's history of serving Lanai, its existing infrastructure in Hawaii and its connections with other airlines, according to Surf Air Mobility.
"It is an honor to have been selected by the DOT to continue operating the Lanai EAS contract," Louis Saint-Cyr, President of Airline Operations at Surf Air Mobility, said. "For many years, the Lanai community has depended on our operations to keep the island connected, and we take our commitment seriously as evidenced by our recent investment in local infrastructure and operating capabilities. This contract also rewards the broader investments we've made into our Hawaiʻi operations where we provide safe, reliable, and profitable air service, and where we continue building toward our ambition of operating the first commercial passenger electric flights in the country."
Mokulele operates about 112 daily departures across five Hawaii islands. During the past year, the airline has added Cessna Caravan aircraft and upgraded its ground and passenger facilities, the company said.