Kalaupapa Airport


Kalaupapa Airport is a regional public use airport of the state of Hawaii, located on the northern peninsula of the island of Molokai, two nautical miles north of Kalaupapa Settlement, in Kalawao County. Most flights to Kalaupapa originate from Molokai Airport or from airports on the other Hawaiian islands by unscheduled air taxis and general aviation. It is also used as a cargo facility carrying goods for Kalaupapa, which has no road access from the rest of Molokai.
The airport offers scheduled passenger service from Makani Kai Air, which began providing scheduled passenger service in January 2012, using two nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravans. This service was subsidized by the Essential Air Service program until May 2018. Previously, Pacific Wings had provided scheduled passenger service at Kalaupapa; this was subsidized by the EAS program from 2000 until April 2007, when Pacific Wings began providing subsidy-free service. Pacific Wings ceased operations in Hawaii in 2013.
The scheduled service from Kalaupapa to Molokai Airport is among the shortest flights in the world.
As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 3,206 passenger boardings in calendar year 2007, 3,135 enplanements in 2008, 2,035 in 2009, and 1,217 in 2010. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non-primary commercial service facility.

Facilities and aircraft

Kalaupapa Airport covers an area of 55 acres at an elevation of 24 feet above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 5/23 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,700 by 75 feet.
Facilities include a small passenger terminal and airport support areas. The airport does not have a control tower. To comply with the wishes of the community and to minimize disturbance to the surrounding national park, no significant improvements are planned.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 5,844 aircraft operations, an average of 16 per day: 85% air taxi, 9% general aviation, and 7% military.

Airlines and destinations

The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:

Statistics

RankAirportPassengers
1Ho'olehua-Molokai Airport 4,000
2Honolulu International 2,000

Authority

Kalaupapa Airport is part of a centralized state structure governing all of the airports and seaports of Hawaii. The official authority of Kalaupapa Airport is the Governor of Hawaii. He or she appoints the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation who has jurisdiction over the Hawaii Airports Administrator.
The Hawaii Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office, Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawaii: Hawaii District, Kauai District, Maui District and the principal Oahu District. Kalaupapa Airport is a subordinate of the Maui District officials.

Incidents

On December 11, 2013, a Makani Kai Air Cessna Grand Caravan bound for Honolulu crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off from Kalauapapa. One passenger, state health department head Loretta Fuddy, died as a result; the other seven passengers and the pilot survived.