- Hilo and Kona airports plan to reopen Sunday following safety checks after Tropical Storm Lala passed the Big Island.
- Major airlines issued travel waivers through August 19 for passengers impacted by sixty-five flight cancellations during the storm.
- The storm left 130,000 households without power and caused significant flooding, forcing ongoing search and rescue operations.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation expects to reopen Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport Sunday, August 16, after Tropical Storm Lala forced both facilities to close on the Big Island.
The return to service depends on checks of terminal and runway conditions. State personnel are scheduled to return Sunday and coordinate with airlines as schedules change.
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The shutdown began Saturday. Hilo started closing at 9:00 a.m. HST, while Kona followed at 2:00 p.m. HST. Officials secured both terminals, and security personnel sheltered in place before the facilities closed.
Air travel had already stopped at both airports. As of 8 a.m. Saturday, carriers had no remaining Hilo flights scheduled, while Kona had no flights after 2 p.m. The Transportation Security Administration had also closed the security checkpoints, and no passengers remained at either airport.
Hawaiʻi County remains under the storm’s broader effects. Commercial ports on Hawaiʻi Island and in Maui County also closed as emergency officials responded to dangerous conditions.
Governor Josh Green said the state had assigned emergency personnel across multiple agencies.
“Hurricane Lala is now impacting our state, and the safety of our people remains our highest priority. National Guard, law enforcement, transportation, health and emergency personnel are working around the clock.”
Green’s office declared a State of Emergency on August 13. The declaration mobilized the National Guard and disaster funds as the storm approached Hawaiʻi County, where officials had issued a Hurricane Warning.
Airlines canceled dozens of flights before the airports’ planned return
Airlines canceled 54 inter-island flights and 11 trans-pacific flights across the state Saturday, including flights operated by Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines. Early Sunday reports listed at least 2 cancellations at Hilo and 1 at Kona, with additional schedule changes possible during airport assessments.
Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva said the carrier offered travel waivers and urged customers to check their flight status rather than assume a cancellation solely because of the storm’s proximity. Hawaiian, United, Delta and Southwest issued waivers for flights booked through August 19, allowing travelers to rebook without a fee.
The airport closures also reduced traffic on roads needed for emergency work. Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda said fewer visitors circulating on the island helped the county respond.
“It’s time to hunker down. Stay off the roads. Closing the airports helped with the county's emergency response because it meant fewer visitors circulating on the Big Island.”
Travelers with Sunday departures should check directly with their airline before going to the airport. A planned reopening does not erase cancellations already issued.
Lala weakened, but flooding and power failures remain
Lala had strengthened as it neared the Big Island, reaching Category 1 hurricane strength with sustained winds of 80 mph while passing 30 miles southwest of South Point. By 2 a.m. Sunday, the system had weakened to a tropical storm and sat roughly 105 miles west-northwest of Kailua-Kona.
The storm’s eye passed south of the island without making direct landfall. The Big Island had avoided a direct landfall for 155 years, but outer bands still produced wind damage and flooding.
Forecasters expected 10 to 20 inches of rain across Hawaiʻi Island, with isolated locations potentially receiving up to 35 inches (90 cm). At least one person died after a head-on collision in the South Point area that officials attributed to the weather.
High winds destroyed at least 19 roofs. Search-and-rescue teams began looking Sunday for residents whose homes were swept from their foundations by flash floods in Naʻalehu and Waiʻōhinu.
The storm also disrupted electricity service. Approximately 130,000 households across Hawaiʻi’s three largest islands lacked power Sunday morning.
Recovery work continues beyond the terminals
Hawaiian Electric deployed hundreds of workers to inspect a 42-mile span of transmission lines on the Hāmākua Coast, where falling trees destroyed multiple structures. The work adds another infrastructure constraint as airport and airline teams assess whether normal schedules can resume.
Runoff created a separate public-health hazard. The Department of Health issued a Brown Water Advisory for the Big Island because of elevated pollutant levels in stormwater.
The transportation department’s reopening plan therefore covers more than unlocking terminal doors. Staff must inspect the facilities, review runway conditions and account for airline schedule changes while emergency operations continue across the island.
The department said state personnel would be onsite Sunday to monitor conditions and mitigate impacts. Travelers should confirm both the airport status and their carrier’s booking before setting out, particularly for flights covered by waivers through August 19.
