Hawaii Island airports closed, flights canceled as Hurricane Lala passes south

News admin August 16, 2026 0 Comments

Hawaii Island airports closed, flights canceled as Hurricane Lala passes south

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island airports are closed as Hurricane Lala passes south of Hawaii Island.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) closed Hilo International Airport (ITO) Saturday morning and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) Saturday afternoon.

Both airports were secured, and no passengers are at the airports. Officials said security will shelter in place at the terminals, and personnel will be on site to monitor terminal and runway conditions and mitigate impacts.

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

Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines cancellations

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

In total, Hawaiian and Alaska airlines canceled 59 neighbor island flights and 18 transpacific flights for Saturday, Aug. 15.

Five neighbor island and three transpacific flights have been proactively canceled for Sunday, Aug. 16.

Kahului, Maui: Alaska and Hawaiian are operating a reduced schedule to and from Kahului Saturday.

Honolulu, Oahu: Alaska and Hawaiian are operating most scheduled flights to and from Honolulu Saturday.

Lihue, Kauai: Hawaiian is operating a reduced schedule to and from Lihue Saturday.

Guests whose flights have been impacted are being notified and offered reaccommodation options.

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 is advising its passengers that flights may be delayed and/or canceled Friday through Sunday at the following airports:

Southwest travelers have the option to keep their existing reservation, rebook or travel standby, or request a refund if their flight is significantly delayed.

Learn more about travel options and eligibility requirements here.

At Hilo International Airport Friday, flights in and out of Hilo were still operating. 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.

Watch our Hawaii Island coverage from Friday, Aug. 14:

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.