Cape Air makes case for Lanai air service contract despite no Hawaii flights

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Three airlines are vying for the contract to provide essential air service to Lanai: current provider Mokulele Airlines, Pacific Air Charters, and Cape Air.

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Unlike the other two contenders, Massachusetts-based Cape Air has not flown in Hawaii skies.

“Not being flying in Hawaii, that’s a very, very good point,” Cape Air president Mike Migliore acknowledged.

While not operating in the islands, Cape Air is familiar with the market, having scouted Lanai in 2024.

Back then, the other two airlines also submitted bids for the federally subsidized service, which Mokulele clinched.

Hawaii News Now reported on Mokulele and Pacific Air on Sunday.

Now, Migliore sought an opportunity to also publicly share why he believes Cape Air deserves the agreement.

When asked whether he feels the airline is at a disadvantage because of its lack of experience in Hawaii skies, Migliore replied, “Anytime we’ve gone into a community for the first time, they say that. ‘Well, you haven’t been in Montana before. You haven’t been in the Caribbean before.’ And when we do, we show that we are a community-focused airline.”

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Cape Air has met with the Lanai community several times in the past year, and compares the island to the Caribbean — one of the 12 essential air service locations it serves.

“All over order, short stage lengths, we’ve been in the Caribbean since the mid-1990s, and we specialize in serving smaller communities,” the airline’s president explained.

Migliore mentions the company hires from the communities it serves, which aviation expert Peter Forman says is especially essential for Lanai.

“You’re going to have to go ahead and hire crews, and those crews [need] experience with the nuances of flying in Hawaii. Most of the time it’s blue skies, but particularly like Lanai has a weird wind when it’s coming from the trade wind direction,” Forman said.

Cape Air received several letters of support and so did its competitors.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is reviewing the proposals for the new contract term, which is set to begin on Sept. 1.

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