For the past month-and-a-half, long lines of travelers have snaked out of Kahului Airport’s security checkpoint, enduring hours-long waits in the hot midday sun. The cause: bigger planes, a busier flight schedule and too few security lanes.
The summer flight schedule is historically “beefed up” in the 10 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. window, said
Marvin Moniz, airport district manager. And airlines have begun deploying more jumbo jets that fit more passengers, he said. Arriving 2-1/2 hours before boarding time is “plenty,” he said. The average wait time Tuesday was 43 minutes, with all security lanes fully staffed and open, a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson said.
Since mid-June and July, some 11,700 people departed Maui on the weekdays and 13,000 to 14,000 left on the weekend days, according to Moniz’s estimates. In July, domestic flights brought a daily average of 7,992 passengers to Maui, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism.
Domestic flights deposited an additional 8,918 passengers on Monday alone. The number of visitors to Maui in June, 288,333, was just below
the pre-pandemic count
in June 2019, 295,926,
according to the Hawaii
Tourism Authority.
With all eight lanes for TSA screenings open, one of which is designated for PreCheck members, screenings go faster when passengers bring fewer carry-on items with them, Moniz said.
In an effort to provide travelers with relief from sidewalk heat, the airport has ordered canvas awnings from the mainland, but delivery remains weeks away, Moniz said. Six medical incidents have occurred among passengers waiting in line, though none were related to heat stroke, he said.
Additionally, by the end of the month the airport will halve an exit lane to create an additional security screening lane. TSA spokesperson Daniel D. Velez confirmed that an additional lane is in the works. The agency is currently installing a credential authentication technology machine for authenticating identification cards, and finishing electrical work in the evenings with an expected completion in late August, the spokesperson said.
Also, airport officials are beginning to design a checkpoint with five additional lanes, but it would be another 2-1/2 years — between design, procurement, bidding and construction — before it becomes operational, Moniz said. The airport and airlines would pay for it, and TSA would cover equipment and operations costs, he said.
