LIHU‘E — The number of people getting off domestic passenger flights at Lihu‘e Airport inched past 63,000 in September, which was enough to mark the second highest total for the month at the transportation hub.
A total of 63,057 passengers deplaned domestic flights in September, compared with 69,396 in September 2022, according to data compiled by the state of Hawai‘i’s Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism.
The 2022 figure ranks first for the month of September. The 2018 total of 57,332 rounds out the top three for the month of September.
The count only includes passengers from direct domestic flights, including Kaua‘i residents returning home, and excludes the thousands of visitors arriving by inter-island air each month.
That means visitors arriving from neighboring islands aren’t accounted for in the domestic deplanement total even if their flight originated in the Lower 48, nor are passengers on flights from Canada.
For the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, the domestic passenger count measured 645,404. That was down 7.55 percent from 694,176 in the same nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2022. Data subject to revision.
Of note, the passenger count exceeded 900,000 for the first time in an annual period last year, as it ended up at 910,558 for the 12-months ended Dec. 31, 2022. The previous high of 772,705 was set in 2018, followed by 770,934 in 2019, department data showed.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
