Oliver Wyman: Pacific Storms impact Hawaiian flights
Hawaii, often referred to as ‘heaven on earth’, has recently been gripped by a series of Pacific Storms, heavily impacting life on the island. Yet not only its own people and businesses feel the impact, so too does the aviation industry, along with the thousands of travellers that rely on flights to and from Hawaii.
Hawaii, one of the fifty States of the United States, is an islands group in the Pacific Ocean that consists of 137 Islands created by volcanoes, of which some are still active. In addition to these volcanoes, the islands are covered by rainforests. Hawaii is best known for its many white beaches where you can dive, snorkel and surf and is often referred to as ‘heaven’. Although most people would see no reason to disagree, a few times per year the islands’ fortunes turn and the heavenly ambiance can be brutally disturbed by Pacific Storms, exemplified for instance by the two latest storms (Storm Iselle, Storm Julio) which hit the area last week.
Cost for aviation
An analysis from consulting firm Oliver Wyman shows that such storms can cost the regional aviation business dearly. According to the consultants, Pacific Storms could impact up to 665 daily flights to and from Hawaii and between the islands. These flights carry approximately 75,000 to 80,000 passengers on a daily basis.
Most flights from/to Hawaii are intra-island flights. From an airline perspective, local player Hawaiian is – with 269 flights daily, of which 210 between the islands – impacted most by the Pacific Storms. The second largest flight supplier is Mokulele with 115 intra-island flights, followed by United that provides 72 daily flights from/to Hawaii.