Mokulele restores Kona to Kahului flights, expands inter-island service
Mokulele brought back Kona-Kahului service, giving Big Island travelers another interisland option after years of route shifts and reliability problems.
Mokulele Airlines has restored Kona to Kahului service, reopening a direct link that matters most to workers, patients, students and families who need a faster way between Hawaii Island and Maui. The route’s return gives West Hawaii another option after a series of schedule changes that have repeatedly shifted capacity among the state’s smaller island markets.
The airline first changed the route mix in June 2023, when it said daily Hilo to Kahului service would end Aug. 1, 2023 and an evening Kona to Kahului flight would be added. Big Island Now, Hawaii News Now, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Civil Beat, Maui News and Spectrum News all reported that move at the time. Mokulele’s decision showed how tightly interisland flying is tied to demand and aircraft availability, especially on routes that serve communities without any ground-travel alternative.
Mokulele now says on its website that it operates more than 100 daily flights to nine airports across four Hawaiian islands. Its scheduled service list includes Kona and Kahului, along with Hilo, Kapalua, Hana, Honolulu, Hoolehua, Kalaupapa and Waimea-Kohala. For Big Island residents, that network matters because a cancelled or suspended flight can quickly turn a same-day medical visit or business trip into an overnight problem.
The renewed attention to Kona-Kahului also comes after a rough stretch for the airline. In January 2025, Hawaii News Now reported that Mokulele grounded its fleet for aircraft inspections and said full operations could resume two days later. Rural Molokai travelers described scrambling for alternate plans during that disruption, underscoring how few back-up options exist when one carrier stalls.
Mokulele tried to reinforce that message in May 2025, when it held a blessing ceremony in Kalaupapa, Molokai, for two aircraft, one new and one fully refurbished. The event was presented as part of a renewed commitment to rural Hawaii, a promise that will be judged by whether routes like Kona to Kahului stay dependable long enough to be used as everyday transportation, not just as added service on a timetable.
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