LIHU‘E — The number of people getting off domestic passenger flights at Lihu‘e Airport dropped below 60,000 in November, marking the second lowest total for any month this year.
A total of 56,119 passengers deplaned domestic flights in November, compared with 68,427 in November 2022, according to data compiled by the state of Hawai‘i’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. That marked a decrease of 17.98 percent in the period.
The busiest day of the month fell on Saturday, Nov. 18, when 2,562 passengers deplaned domestic flights. The slowest day was on Friday, Nov. 10, when 1,279 passengers deplaned domestic flights.
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 11-month period ended Nov. 30, the domestic passenger count measured 763,739. That was down 8.54 percent from the same 11-month period ended Nov. 30, 2022. Data subject to revision.
Of note, the lowest passenger count total for any month this year was 55,966 in February.
The decrease in passengers comes after a record-setting year, in which the passenger count exceeded 900,000 for the first time in an annual period. The count 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.
