Passengers have been left stranded after Mokulele Airlines abruptly grounded flights Wednesday.
The company cited “maintenance and an abundance of caution” but has given no information on how long the shutdown will last, or its exact cause.
For the island of Moloka’i, Mokulele is the only air carrier. The suspension of flights has left residents scrambling to get to off-island work and medical appointments.
Desperate requests flooded local social media pages as residents sought alternatives.
Moloka’i boat captains sprang into action, volunteering rides to Maui and O’ahu.
On Wednesday afternoon, residents were lined up with packed bags at Kaunakakai Wharf, hoping to catch much-needed lifts.
Friday morning, Molokaʻi student-athletes made a three-plus-hour trip by boat to O’ahu to compete over the weekend.
"Safety is our top priority. We are temporarily not operating some flights in our fleet for precautionary maintenance inspections,” said Louis Saint-Cyr, president of Hawaiʻi operations for parent company Surf Air Mobility, in a statement sent to HPR.
“We continue to operate certain flights and on impacted flights we are rebooking or otherwise accommodating passengers. We are focused on passenger care while prioritizing passengers with medical needs and health concerns."
This follows a similar shutdown in August that lasted three days to inspect and address the findings of a routine maintenance check.
In the meantime, Mokulele is advising customers to contact their call center for assistance.
