KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Dozens of flights to and from Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport have been delayed, canceled or diverted as a result of a closed runway.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation initially announced the runway’s closure at approximately 7 a.m. It was briefly reopened several minutes later before being shut down again.
Originally, the runway was scheduled to be reopened at 10 a.m., but the time was later pushed back to 2 p.m. Transportation officials said the runway required rehabilitation due to cracks.
The closure resulted in at least 20 arriving flights to be affected, such as an Alaska Airlines flight from San Francisco that was diverted to Maui.
One Southwest flight from Honolulu to Kona was canceled altogether.
Departing flights have also been impacted, with at least a dozen flights scheduled to leave Kona delayed or canceled.
An Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle was scheduled to depart at 8 a.m., but has now been rescheduled to depart at 2 p.m. Another Alaska flight bound for San Diego was originally scheduled for departure at about 11 a.m., but was canceled altogether.
It is not clear if all delays, cancelations or diversions are a direct result of the closed runway.
Travelers are urged to check with their airline for flight status and information, HDOT said. For a list of flights in and out of the Kona Airport, visit the airport’s website.