- Air Canada and WestJet waived change fees for Hawaii travel on August fifteenth and sixteenth due to Tropical Storm Lala.
- Governor Josh Green reported one hundred ninety flights postponed statewide as storm conditions impacted various island airports.
- Hilo and Kona airports closed for evaluations with operations expected to resume late Sunday following safety inspections.
Air Canada and WestJet waived change fees for Hawaii flights scheduled on August 15 and August 16, 2026, as Tropical Storm Lala disrupted airports and roads across the islands. The policies cover Honolulu for both airlines, while the second carrier also includes Maui.
The Air Canada waiver applies to Honolulu flights and permits one free change or cancellation. Customers may use it once.
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WestJet’s advisory covers Honolulu and Maui. Travelers booked directly through the airline can make complimentary changes or cancellations for the two travel dates.
The flexibility is time-limited. Flights outside the August 15-16 window are not included in the stated policies.
Hawaii’s disruption extended beyond airline schedules. Governor Josh Green reported 190 flights postponed statewide by the evening of August 15.
More than 65 flights operated by Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines were canceled Saturday, including 54 inter-island flights and 11 trans-Pacific services.
The Big Island’s Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport closed Saturday, August 15. The Hawaii Department of Transportation expected both facilities to resume operations late Sunday, August 16, after evaluations.
Airport closures came as the storm moved away
The storm approached the Big Island with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Its eye passed near the island’s southern tip without making a direct landfall.
Rainfall still reached 2 inches per hour. Surf climbed to 30 feet, adding hazards along exposed coastal areas.
By Sunday, August 16, the system had weakened back to a tropical storm while moving northwest away from the Big Island. A statewide Flood Watch remained in effect through the weekend.
Officials also warned that winds on mountain slopes can run 30% stronger than forecasts measured at the surface. That warning came as emergency crews dealt with flooding, debris and damaged homes.
More than 130,000 households across Hawaii’s three largest islands lacked power by Sunday morning. At least three hospitals operated on backup generators during the grid failures.
Flash floods swept several occupied homes from their foundations in coastal communities including Na'alehu and Wai'ohinu. The conditions left thousands of passengers affected by airport closures and reduced service in Maui and Oahu.
Officials urged people to stay off the roads
Green said the storm had destroyed 19 roofs and caused at least one traffic fatality in the South Point area. He urged residents and visitors to avoid driving during the worst conditions.
“You definitely want to be home, do not be out on the roads.”
The governor issued that warning on August 15.
Kimo Alameda, Hawaii County’s mayor, described the rescue environment early Sunday morning. Rushing water, debris and boulders complicated work in darkness.
“What makes this very challenging is that there's rushing water, there's debris, and there's boulders on the road and it’s dark.”
Richard Bissen, mayor of Maui County, had urged preparation before the storm arrived on August 14. He told residents to secure property, gather essentials, prepare for possible outages and check on kūpuna.
The waiver terms differ by airline
The two advisories do not cover identical destinations or conditions. The available terms are:
| Airline | Covered destinations | Travel dates | Permitted action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Honolulu (HNL) | August 15-16, 2026 | One free change or cancellation |
| WestJet | Honolulu (HNL) and Maui (OGG) | August 15-16, 2026 | Complimentary change or cancellation for direct bookings |
The Honolulu policy covers flights to Oahu. The Maui provision identifies Kahului Airport by its OGG code.
The carrier serving both islands posted its travel advisory on August 13. The other airline’s notice allows customers to change or cancel once without a fee.
Neither policy expands the covered travel period beyond August 15 and August 16. Travelers should check the operating status of their airport before heading out.
Canada raised its warning for Hawaii County
Global Affairs Canada raised the risk level for Hawaii County on August 13. Its Travel.gc.ca advisory said travelers should “Avoid non-essential travel” because of the storm.
That warning applied as power failures and road hazards continued after the system weakened. Airport operations could resume while flooding and local access problems remained.
The weather disruption also overlapped with a separate WestJet cabin crew strike represented by CUPE. Earlier in August, that labor action forced the cancellation of approximately 645 flights and affected roughly 250,000 passengers.
The strike and the storm created separate sources of disruption. The Hawaii waiver addresses the weather-related travel dates listed in the airline advisory.
Air travelers holding eligible reservations can request the permitted change or cancellation through the airline. Direct-booking restrictions apply to the second carrier’s policy, while the first carrier limits customers to one free transaction.
Late Sunday operations depended on airport inspections. The Flood Watch, stronger mountain winds and continuing outages remained the conditions travelers faced on August 16.
