Mokulele Airlines, a key inter-island carrier in Hawaii, grounded its fleet Wednesday amid maintenance concerns.
The airline issued a statement writing, “Safety is our top priority, we are temporarily not operating some flights in our fleet for precautionary maintenance inspections. We continue to operate certain flights, and on impacted flights we’re rebooking or otherwise accommodating passengers. We’re focused on passenger care while prioritizing passengers with medical needs and concerns.”
Mokulele Airlines operates a fleet of 11 208EX Grand Caravans and provides more than 100 daily flights to nine airports across four Hawaiian islands. As reported by local outlet Island News, the grounding has caused significant disruption for communities that depend on the airline for essential services such as medical appointments, emergencies and inter-island connectivity.
Specific details about the maintenance concerns have not yet been disclosed. However, this grounding comes just five months after Mokulele temporarily grounded part of its fleet to address issues uncovered during a routine maintenance inspection.
