Airport to close
areas frequented by
the homeless

About 45 people will be
ousted by the action

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

About 45 homeless people will be ousted tonight from Honolulu Airport.

It is the first night of the airport's new restricted hours, closing many areas where the homeless for years liked to sleep.

"The problem is difficult to handle because you don't like to put them out unless there's some place for them to go," said Ben Kosa, off-hours manager of the airport.

Authorities have given assurances that there will be places for the airport's homeless. Numerous shelters await their arrival, from Angel Network Charities to Safe Haven to Women's Way in Manoa, a 40-bed facility for women and children.

New signs and barriers will go up a half hour after the last flights tonight, closing portions of the commuter, interisland and overseas terminals, as well as baggage-claim areas.

Airport security guards have gone through three dry runs to make sure procedures are performed correctly. One security guard said several homeless people have politely approached and asked if they had to leave yet.

"They've been very cooperative," the guard said.

Kosa said they have caused little disturbance, other than presenting a negative picture to tourists of homeless people sleeping on floors, covered with beach mats or newspapers.

A few people with substance-abuse or mental illnesses problems have created most of the headaches, Kosa said. Some who were drunk have screamed, gotten into fights and even accosted flight attendants and custodians.

One man snarled airport traffic earlier this year after threatening to jump off a parking garage roof.

Police managed to pull him down to safety and take him to a social agency for help.

The homeless have posed a difficult problem for airport officials who have struggled to resolve the issue for the past year and a half, said airport Acting Manager Stanford Miyamoto.

"We're not discriminating against the homeless," Miyamoto said. "But the airport is not the proper place for the homeless."

He said personnel will use their discretion in cases where passengers are caught late at night at the airport because of lay overs or canceled flights.