Inouye plans hearing on air travel

Aloha Airlines' shutdown and Hawaii's air travel market will be the subject of a congressional hearing this week, U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye's office announced yesterday.

"Because of its distinctive geography, Hawaii is a unique place with unique needs," said Inouye, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which is holding the hearing Thursday.

"This hearing will examine the current status of the Hawaii air service market, the implications of Aloha's bankruptcy declaration, service to rural communities and how we might better respond," Inouye added.

The local air market was rocked last week by not just the shutdown of Aloha, but also the closure of ATA Airlines, which carried about 500,000 passengers a year to Hawaii.