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At Honolulu Airport's interisland terminal, frequent flier Daniel Ward waited in the security line headed for Maui yesterday dressed in "no hassle" attire of slippers, shirt and shorts. All coins and keys are in his carry-on.
Security clogs airport
A heightened alert level
has thousands of people at
Honolulu Airport going barefoot
Honolulu Airport was filled with thousands of barefooted travelers yesterday as heightened security measures added to the wait on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
The federal Transportation Security Administration Thursday and yesterday required that all departing passengers take off their shoes and put them through X-ray machines before proceeding to the gates. The new security measure comes after the federal government Tuesday raised the security alert level to orange, or the second highest.
TSA officials would not say how long the new measure would be in effect.
Travelers spent up to two hours waiting in long lines that poured out of airport terminals and crept along sidewalks as the increased vigilance combined with the usual heavy crowds of Memorial Day weekend travelers.
And airport officials warned that the longer waits would continue.
"Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest times of year," said Scott Ishikawa, state Department of Transportation spokesperson. "And we're anticipating long lines for passengers for the rest of the weekend, through Monday."
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New federal security measures at airports have increased wait times for passengers. At Honolulu Airport's interisland terminal yesterday, Honolulu residents Tim Castro and Desiree Nack waited in a security line bound for the Big Island.
The airlines and airport officials are trying to help accommodate the large volume of travelers.
Aloha Airlines added flights to its Saturday schedule because almost all of its 200 scheduled flights were full.
The state Department of Transportation also sent in greeters to direct passengers to the proper screening lines. The greeters even escorted passengers with flights boarding within a half-hour to the front of line.
"The airport is really trying hard to help people," said traveler Ann Auman, a UH journalism professor who stood in the security line for an hour and a half before she was escorted to the front so she would not miss her flight.
Airport officials and the airlines still advise travelers to arrive well before their scheduled flights.
"The federal TSA agents are recommending arriving two and half hours before," said Ishikawa. This will ensure ample time for vehicle inspection, ticketing and security, he said.
Maui commuter Jim Rouse had his own advice: "Bring a book."
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Students from Kula School on Maui amused themselves during their wait playing "Candy Apple Hand Slapping." They were, from left, Torie Joaquin, Dylan Edwards, Jena Abrams and Olivia Borge.
Daniel Ward, a DJ who lives on both Oahu and Maui, has adjusted his traveling to help alleviate the long waits.
"I plan to fly during off-peak hours like the last flights," he said. "I make sure I wear shorts and slippers and put everything in my carry-on so it's obvious I'm not a terrorist," he said.
Many travelers said they had anticipated the long waits.
"I think most people don't mind because they recognize that the world is different place after 9/11," said Rouse.
For Michelle and James Pas from Denver, the wait at Honolulu Airport was expected and they were even "in good spirits because things have been moving smoothly."
Even Rod Helgren, who was chaperoning 23 fourth-graders from Kula Elementary on Maui, said he did not mind the lines if it meant flying is safer.
But, he added, "It's just going to be hard to keep them all together."
Travel tips
Advice for weekend travelers:>> Arrive at the airport at least two hours before scheduled flights.
>> Keep in mind the busiest times at the airport are 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. at interisland terminals; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. at domestic and international terminals.
>> Avoid wearing shoes that take a long time to remove.
>> Fireworks are not allowed on airplanes, nor in checked or carry-on baggage.
Source: State Department of Transportation, the federal Transportation Security Administration
