Airport Scandal

[Konaguy]

They have been advertising this website during primetime on the local stations.

http://www.airportscandal.com/index.html

Welcome to airportscandal.com, an independent clearinghouse for information concerning Hawaii's public airports and Department of Transportation. This resource exists to:

Inform and educate the general public, legislators and media about the actions and decisions of public employees and political appointees entrusted with control of Hawaii's airports
Facilitate public disclosure and investigation of apparent fraud, abuse, mismanagement, gross waste of monies or abuses of authority involving Hawaii's airports or Department of Transportation
Raise consciousness about Hawaii's rural and commuter airports, and the vital role they play in linking the state's small and medium-sized communities with centers of commerce and culture, and providing access to medical, social and educational services
Monitor, measure and report on airport sponsor compliance with the Airline Deregulation Act and federal grant assurance requirements

[pzarquon]

KHON covered this tonight (http://www.khon2.com/khon/displayStory.cfm?storyID=2570). Someone needs to tell Scott Ishikawa (DOT) that there is no such word as "induendos." :) Fortunately, the KHON transcript fixes it for him.

The story notes that PROP is led by Pacific Wings, but doesn't mention other members by name -- and neither does the website. The Pacific Wings head is bankrolling the TV ads ($8000 so far) and site, so I'm guessing it's pretty much 99 percent their beef.

What other stations are airing the PROP ads? In fact, what other stations are airing the DOT ads that PROP used in its ad? I've only seen either of them on KHON. If it's just KHON, it's iffy to make this story lead the broadcast.

Apparently, the DOT wants to know if they can do anything about PROP's using their TV ads in their ad. I'm pretty sure there isn't much legal ground to stop them... especially if taxpayer money is paying for those ads, anyway!

[mel]

These PROP ads have also shown up on KHNL,KFVE and KITV. The guy who owns Pacific Wings has been pretty pissed about the administration of the airports for several years now. Under the previous administration, he had some greivances about the lack of terminal and hanger space to adequately serve his small commuter airline.

The website domain is registered to someone at Pacific Wings and served off an ISP in Wailuku.

[Miulang]

The big stink is being caused mostly because of what's going on at Kahului Airport, I think. Right now, Island Air has to share the commuter terminal with Pacific Wings, Mokulele Air and other unscheduled, "charter" prop planes. Island Air really wants to be with the big boys in the main terminal, but the State Dept of Transportation says it doesn't want to mix prop planes with jets. That's kind of a stupid answer, because both Aloha and Hawaiian used to fly a mix of prop and jet planes for the longest time out of OGG.

And Island Air, since it is used primarily by tourists who are island hopping (locals scream at the high cost to fly on Island Air and use the charters instead, because they are about $50 less), wants to have the commuter terminal secured (i.e., with TSA guards, etc.) because of this. It would also mean that passengers from the charter airlines would have to use portable toilets instead of the main bathrooms, because those would have to be within the secure area, too.

So right now, there's kind of a Mexican standoff going on at OGG: As long as Island Air can't fly into the main terminal and uses the commuter terminal, there are no TSA staff at the commuter terminal. At just about every other airport in Hawai'i (like K'kakai, for instance), everything is secured...all passengers whether they are flying Island Air or Mokulele Air have to go through security.

Miulang


http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=4185

[Konaguy]

Bzzzzzz wrong. Kona and Hilo Int'l Airports have "unsecured" commuter
terminals, along with Lihue and Kamuela I believe. I wouldn't be surprised
if Molokai and Lanai have similar setups also.

[mel]

I know in Hilo, Island Air is in the main terminal (they have a lot of space there) which is secured. Pacific Wings is out to the left in the small commuter building where all the tour helicopters park at.

[Miulang]

Bzzzzzz wrong. Kona and Hilo Int'l Airports have "unsecured" commuter
terminals, along with Lihue and Kamuela I believe. I wouldn't be surprised
if Molokai and Lanai have similar setups also.
Yeah. but in Kona and Hilo, where does Island Air land? At the main terminal or at the commuter terminal?

Also, I know for a fact (because I saw it for myself) that at K'kakai at least, the airport is secure, and the commuter (i.e., "charter") flights do have TSA people standing around. That's what shocked me. I had more security thrown at me at K'kakai than at OGG! What?! Molokai'ans are more likely to be terrorists than people from Maui going to K'kakai?! :eek:

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Island Air deplanes in the regular terminal at least here in Kona. But my point was that there is airports here that the commuter terminal is seperate from the
regular terminal. Honolulu is another example, all the commuter flights leave from
the old Hawaiian Airlines terminal.

[Miulang]

Island Air deplanes in the regular terminal at least here in Kona. But my point was that there is airports here that the commuter terminal is seperate from the
regular terminal. Honolulu is another example, all the commuter flights leave from
the old Hawaiian Airlines terminal.
And that's why Pacific Wings is so huhu in Kahului. The State Transportation Board doesn't want Island Air to deplane at the main terminal, so they have to share a slot with the commuter planes, and the commuter carriers (Pacific Wings, et al) are huhu because Island Air wants to secure that commuter terminal at OGG, which means added costs for them to have the TSA stationed in the building just to satisfy Island Air.

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Group criticizes state on Maui airport project (http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/21/news/index8.html)
Rob Perez, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004
Once the objections were raised, Ishikawa said that the department modified the Maui project so that only Island Air passengers would be screened. But later yesterday, [Pacific Wings vice president Rob] McKinney said his company got word from the department that the agency eventually plans to move Island Air to Kahului's main terminal, a move the carrier group had sought.

[Miulang]

Eh, da real story ova here: http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/21/news/index8.html

For once, the little guys beat Goliath. How refreshing. :D

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Ova wea? You mean to da article I wen' in da post right before yours? :p

[kimo55]

Island Air deplanes in the regular terminal at least here in Kona.



deplane, boss! deplane!

[Miulang]

Ova wea? You mean to da article I wen' in da post right before yours? :p
Yeah dat one., Wen I wen go click on da headline in your post, one odda story wen go come up anden.

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Here is the correct link :)

http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/21/news/story4.html

[pzarquon]

Yeah dat one., Wen I wen go click on da headline in your post, one odda story wen go come up anden.Hee! Yours too! Good dat Aaron finally get 'um.

[1stwahine]

Uhh,I wanted to post a thread but I forgot...anyways, did you hear about the goof ball who tried to sneak a razor blade in his shoes? Anyone, sane or nuts should know betta! Seems the nut forgot or may have intentionally put it there! Auwe! Have a great night all! Drive safe, ok? and Don't drink and Drive!

[pzarquon]

Here's KHON's online story (http://www.khon2.com/khon/displayStory.cfm?storyID=2640). Now that they're back in the web game, they're beating the newspapers fairly often. Anyway.

The space under the sole of one's shoe is not a typical storage place for a box-cutter blade. The moron put it there on purpose, no doubt in a hare-brained attempt to "prove" how weak our airport security is -- "our" being America in general, or maybe just us backwater island natives.

To be sure, dozens of jokers pull this stuff every day and get away with it (I know people who've traveled with contraband, and didn't even realize it 'til they got home), but you play games like that, you better be prepared to pay the price.

[mel]

I'm flying in to Hilo tomorrow... on Aloha, but will remember to check the airport terminal to make sure that Island Air is there and not in the commuter shack detached from the main terminal.