KAILUA-KONA — Gov. David Ige wants to see international commercial flights landing at Kona International Airport sooner rather than later, and he’s put $50 million into his supplemental budget to make it happen.
The money, a sizable chunk that would take the form of general obligation bonds, is earmarked for a federal inspection station and will be used for construction of the station only, a state Department of Transportation spokesman said Monday. The budget request still must make it through the Legislature, which begins its regular session Jan. 20.
The funding is part of $891.8 million in general obligation bonds sought by the administration for the budget year beginning July 1.
The improvements will obviously benefit Hawaii Island, where the number of Japanese visitors staying only on Hawaii Island dropped 17 percent last year compared to 2010, the last time Japan Airlines brought a direct flight to the island.
But the governor, and many members of the Legislature, also see the expansion of international flights to Kona as a statewide benefit, relieving the stress from the busy Honolulu International Airport and providing a backup in case the Honolulu airport is closed in an emergency.
“We’re going to be the second major international entry point for the state,” said state Rep. Cindy Evans, D-North Kona, North Kohala, South Kohala. “It benefits Hawaii Island. It benefits the economy. But also it benefits the state of Hawaii to have a second alternative in case something happens.”
Mayor Billy Kenoi has been lobbying for the improvements for five years. He said Monday he is gratified that improvements are coming closer to reality.
“I have met with Gov. Ige and (DOT) Director Ford Fuchigami and shared how important this project is to our island and our economy,” Kenoi said. “This will hopefully allow the return of international flights to our island and will have a positive transformative impact on our community for many years to come.”
Ige said during a news conference Monday afternoon that he had to target his spending suggestions to make best use of limited funds.
“This is a supplemental budget year, a year when we make targeted changes to the budget adopted last year,” Ige said. “We are focused on areas where government can make a real difference in the lives of Hawaii’s citizens.”
Kenoi and state officials unsuccessfully tried to get a five-year exemption from meeting security standards at the airport in order to reopen the international inspection facility.
At issue is the airport’s design, featuring iconic tiki-hut style outdoor passenger holding areas that convey a Hawaiian atmosphere, but do little to address U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s security concerns at the airport. A stone and tentlike structure has in the past processed travelers coming from international destinations.
A temporary practice of having charter flights reimburse Customs for flying agents from Honolulu to Kona to staff the customs gateway there was ended by the agency in 2012.
The state and Hawaii’s congressional delegation have also appealed to Homeland Security to increase preclearance of international travelers at some departure ports such as Narita, Japan, a common departure point for flights to Hawaii.
