Travelers faced delays today at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, which closed for about seven hours to complete repairs to its sole runway.

The state Department of Transportation said it closed the airport from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. to “address lifting of the pavement from a 1,150X15 (foot) section of the runway discovered during a routine foreign object debris check.”

FlightAware.com reported 25 delays and eight cancellations today at the Kona airport.

Hawaiian Airlines, which experienced the most disruptions, said that it canceled multiple neighbor island flights. Two Kona-bound Alaska flights were diverted to other Hawaii airports; two returned to their departure airports; and one was returned to the gate, while a Kona to Seattle flight was delayed until the runway reopened.

R

See Full Page