Dozens of flights canceled Saturday as Tropical Storm Lala approaches

News admin August 15, 2026 0 Comments

Dozens of flights canceled Saturday as Tropical Storm Lala approaches

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – As Tropical Storm Lala nears Hawaii Island, residents and visitors are bracing for impact as flight cancellations and closures take effect.

The storm is slowly becoming more organized, with conditions expected to deteriorate over Hawaii Island beginning early Saturday.

Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines have proactively made several adjustments to their Hawaii operations, canceling dozens of flights across the islands.

Airline officials advise travelers to monitor the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines cancellations

On Friday, Aug. 14, five neighbor island flights were canceled. For Saturday, Aug. 15, a total of 54 neighbor island flights and 11 transpacific flights have been canceled as follows:

Hilo: Five neighbor island flights to and from Hilo were canceled Friday afternoon, and all Hilo service has been suspended for Saturday, totaling 25 canceled flights.

Kona: All neighbor island service to and from Kona scheduled for Saturday after 2 p.m. and through the evening has been canceled. Five Saturday transpacific flights to and from Kona have also been canceled.

Kahului: Alaska and Hawaiian have reduced transpacific and neighbor island flying to and from Kahului for Saturday.

Lihue: Four neighbor island flights to and from Lihue have been canceled for Saturday.

Those affected by cancellations are being reaccommodated on later flights.

A waiver has also been issued to offer guests with travel scheduled Friday through Sunday the flexibility to change or cancel their flights.

Southwest Airlines travel advisory

Southwest Airlines has also issued travel advisories and alerts. The airline announced it is currently evaluating potential flights on a case-by-case basis.

While Southwest flights are still operating as scheduled for Friday, the carrier canceled two Saturday morning flights departing at 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.

At Hilo International Airport, flights in and out of Hilo were still operating Friday. Sandbags were placed in the check-in area in anticipation of heavy rain.

A few Hawaiian Airlines passengers made it down to the airport to jump on a flight before the expected cancellations took place.

“The news has been showing that there’s more of a threat increasing, so we are just hoping to get back to our families and not be stuck here. That would be ideal,” said Kauai resident Nathan Cotter.

Cotter is a contractor working at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, which has since closed for the storm. He, along with a coworker, were released earlier Friday.

“We are on standby for any earlier flight if possible, so if we can, we will. If not, we are on an afternoon flight, and that’s potentially iffy,” he said.

Residents hunker down, stay informed

Along the Keaukaha coast near the Hilo airport, everyone is hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.

Captain Craig Kamahele has lived all his life in Keaukaha. On any given day, you’ll find him and his friends at the beach. It was a different story Friday.

“My friends are not here, and this is usually where we stick around,” Kamahele said. “I don’t think you’ll see anyone here today.”

At Onekahakaha Beach Park, which is now closed to the public, strong surf is coming in.

Surf is expected to reach east-facing shores Friday and spread westward and build throughout the weekend.

At KWXX Radio in Hilo, morning show host Kuehu Mauga is getting the word out.

Since the threat of the storm emerged, Mauga and the rest of KWXX have been on air, keeping listeners informed about Lala.

“Especially in extreme weather, we are the constant presences for all of our ohana and families here on Hawaii Island, and so keeping that relations and connection and getting that information to our residents and ohana is so important,” Mauga said. “We are thankful for the platform and presence to get our information about any kind of storms out safely.