Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is on a list of 40 airports that have been ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration to cut 10% of their flights. At least some of the cuts are set to begin Friday.
Air traffic controllers have missed one full paycheck and will miss another next week if the government shutdown continues.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference on Wednesday that the cuts to flight volume will be made at airports where the agency has identified pressures building in an unsafe way.
Hawaiʻi officials are nervously awaiting official word from the FAA about a potential reduction that could affect travel to and from the islands.
The Conversation spoke to David Uchiyama, the chief administrative officer for the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. He said his office is bracing for the worst but cautions about overreacting until the state learns how deep the flight cuts could be and how long they might last.
Uchiyama said there are some large city-wide conventions planned for this month and next, and officials will be watching to see how those may be affected.
Interview highlights
On not yet receiving official word from the FAA
DAVID UCHIYAMA: We're still waiting for official word, but in terms of the effects on us, of course, because we're so isolated, it's bound to have some effects in terms of vacation time or the process of getting here or departing. So we're looking at those possible concerns. … Again, not fully understanding what the impact to us here. I believe this is going to be isolated to U.S. carriers, and they're going to be the ones that are determining what they do in the next phase. So we got to kind of hold tight until that comes out and it becomes official.
On hotel cancellations
UCHIYAMA: We are telling the hoteliers to advise their customers to make sure that they're calling their airlines to reconfirm their flights. They are also aware that there may be situations where people cannot get out when they initially thought they would, and there may be some holdover time that they need to spend here in the islands. So we've raised that with the industry to let them know.
On traveling during the holiday season
UCHIYAMA: We're coming up on Thanksgiving later in the month. I'm hoping that this situation is not going to continue, but you know, if it does, that will definitely have an impact on the visitor industry, because that is a window of opportunity for people to take a break and relax. So we'll see how this plays out.
On the impact on the visitor industry
UCHIYAMA: All throughout the West Coast is definitely the majority our lift is coming out of, our West Coast cities. So of course, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle are definitely key points that we're concerned about. Anytime you have something, any glitch or blip in the reservation pace coming into the islands, you're going to have to counter it with marketing to restimulate the interest back to the island. So that's something that we also need to take into consideration, depending upon how long this takes, if it's a couple of days, maybe not as impactful as we hope, but if it goes on and continues, then we definitely are going to have to look at strategies to restimulate the markets.
The HTA said it continues to monitor the situation. Travelers should ensure their airline has their correct contact information, check their flight status before leaving for the airport, and arrive early for planned flights.
This story aired on The Conversation on Nov. 6, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻiulani Coburn adapted this interview for the web.
