LIHUE — The domestic passenger count started the shoulder season on an upbeat note at Lihue Airport.
A total of 65,485 passengers off-boarded domestic flights at the seaside transportation facility in October, compared with 62,216 in October 2023
That marked an increase of 5.25 percent, according to data compiled by the state of Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism.
The busiest day at Lihue Airport last month was Saturday, Oct. 12, when the passenger count measured 2,710. The slowest day at the airport last month was Tuesday, Oct. 29, when the passenger count weighed in at 1,300.
The count only includes passengers from direct domestic flights, including Kaua‘i residents returning home, and excludes the thousands of visitors who arrive by inter-island air each month.
That means visitors who arrive 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.
All told, the passenger count retreated to 677,639 in the 10-month period ended Oct. 31, compared with 707,620 in the 10-month period ended Oct. 31, 2023. That marked a decrease of 4.23 percent.
Of note, the domestic passenger count at Lihue Airport notched its second highest total on record in 2023, despite a year-over-year drop in the number of people getting off those flights to the island of Kauai.
The passenger count weighed in at 832,739 for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2023, compared with a record 910,558 for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2022. That marked a decrease of 8.54 percent in the period.
