Hawaiian Airlines cancels 32 interisland flights on Friday

Hawaiian Airlines  kitv news told KITV4 it’s canceling 32 neighbor island flights on Friday, April 15 — the start of the three-day Easter holiday weekend.

The 32 flights are in addition to the 19 flights Hawaiian Airlines cancelled on Thursday because of a shortage of pilots cleared to fly Boeing 717 planes.

The airline said affected passengers are being notified and accommodated on other flights. kitv news

On Friday, Hawaiian Airlines will operate 119 flights within the state. kitv news

“We are also substituting our 128-seat Boeing 717 aircraft with larger aircraft – including our 189-seat Airbus A321neos and 278-seat A330s – on 33 of those flights to ensure we can accommodate all guests scheduled to fly with us,” said Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Alex Da silva.

One passenger told KITV4 he received an email on Wednesday night notifying him of Thursday’s canceled flight and was told to contact Hawaiian Airlines Reservations to reschedule.

He said it took him nearly two hours to rebook his flight from Maui to Oahu and the only solution was to fly out the following morning, which was a big inconvenience for his family.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and thank them for their patience and understanding,” Da silva said.

Hawaiian Airlines is catching up on pilot training after its flight simulator was down earlier this year for maintenance.

“With our 717 flight simulator now back online for several weeks, we are training at full capacity to minimize future disruptions,” Da silva said.

The airline has not said yet whether flights on Saturday and Sunday will also be canceled.