JAL nearly doubling Kona service
By Rod Thompson
Star-BulletinHILO -- Japan Airlines will increase its direct flights to the Big Island from four a week to seven by November, the company announced this morning. The airline hopes to double the number of passengers to Kona's Keahole Airport to about 100,000 a year, JAL senior managing director Shinzo Suto said at a news conference in Mayor Stephen Yamashiro's office.
Currently about 50,000 tourists a year arrive in Kona on direct flights and pump about $56 million in the Big Island economy, officials said.
Suto said the passenger count would increase not only because of more seats but also because the greater number of flights would entice more travelers by providing greater flexibility.
The airline finds that 45 percent of its passengers now flying to Oahu are repeat visitors, Suto said.
Many of those repeaters are saying they want a relatively quiet place to vacation, he said. Direct flights to Kona serve that wish, while providing a short stop from Kona to Honolulu for shopping on the return flight, he said.
In the longer run, JAL hopes to start direct flights from Osaka, Suto said. As the number of visitors increases, the need for shopping opportunities on the Big Island will increase, he said.
Although Hawaii remains the most popular destination for all Japanese tourists, visits to Oahu have leveled off, Suto said.
Japanese travel agents are asking for new "stimulation," he said. "We need new input."
JAL began direct flights to Kona in June 1996. It will increase its current four flights to five in October, followed by daily flights in November, he said.
