Mokulele Airlines Grounds Fleet Over Safety Concerns, Disrupting Hawaiian Island-Hopping Services

The airline grounded a significant portion of its fleet due to "discrepancies in the documentation of a recent landing gear servicing."Photo byGuillaumeonUnsplash

Mokulele Airlines, a small but vital carrier serving five Hawaiian islands, announced the temporary suspension of its services from Saturday, August 17, through at least Tuesday, August 20.

The airline grounded a significant portion of its fleet due to "discrepancies in the documentation of a recent landing gear servicing on one of our aircraft," according to a letter shared by the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

Louis Saint-Cyr, Mokulele Airlines' president of operations, explained the decision as a precautionary measure to maintain the airline’s high safety standards. "As a precautionary step to uphold our rigorous safety standards, we’ve decided to temporarily ground affected aircraft in Hawaii while we conduct thorough inspections," Saint-Cyr wrote in a letter to customers.

The grounding has disrupted travel plans for many island-hopping customers who rely on Mokulele for inter-island transportation. The airline is working to complete the necessary inspections and resume service as soon as possible.