Kona Airport in Hawaii reopens today after fixing runway cracks

The Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Keahole is slated to reopen on Tuesday morning after runway cracks prompted a safety concern, resulting in the cancellation of several flights the previous day and affecting thousands of passengers.

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) closed the Kona International Airport at 4:20 pm on Monday to address the runway cracks, as reported by Hawaiian media.

Due to the damaged runway section, the airport was declared closed overnight.

During this period, various airlines had to alter their flight plans due to the Kona closure. Diversions included a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas, an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles, and a United Airlines flight from Denver. Almost a dozen interisland flights experienced delays.

Hawaiian Airlines canceled five interisland flights to Kona and a Los Angeles-bound flight on Monday, affecting approximately 700 passengers.

The DOT reported that it was collaborating with contractors to mill and resurface a 10-by-10-foot area, with the work expected to conclude before sunrise on Tuesday.

Passengers scheduled to arrive or depart from Kona on Tuesday were advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport, according to the department.

Furthermore, DOT spokesman Russell Pang noted, “A project to reconstruct the entire 11,000-foot runway had been scheduled for this year, but cracks developed, and the degradation of the runway pavement accelerated due to recent rains.”