Hawaiian Airline Passengers Experience Delays and Grounded Flights Due to Internet Outage
Friday, May 12, saw a flurry of reports regarding grounded flights and delays affecting Hawaiian Airlines.
Passengers were left sitting on the tarmac for hours while others awaited answers inside the airport.
This confusion came at an inconvenient time, just after the Mother’s Day weekend.
The disruptions were attributed to an internet outage that affected Hawaiian Airlines, causing dozens of delayed and grounded flights.
However, Hawaiian Air wasn’t the only company impacted by this issue.
Hawaii Pacific Health also experienced an outage from the same third-party internet provider, affecting its IT systems on Friday morning.
Fortunately, contingency plans were in place, allowing the healthcare provider to continue providing care to its patients.
For Hawaiian Airlines, what was supposed to be a short 35-minute flight from Kauai to Oahu turned into a long and frustrating travel day for passengers.
Multiple planes were involved, with some being unable to take off and having to turn around to let people out.
Robert Teczon, one of the affected passengers, mentioned how the grounding occurred just after going through the safety instructions.
Hawaiian Airlines quickly identified the root cause of the disruptions as an outage with their third-party internet provider.
The company’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Avi Mannis, assured that they were actively working to restore full operations.
From around 9 AM to just before noon, flights were unable to be dispatched, leading to a ground hold.
As a result, some aircraft had to be diverted from Maui to Honolulu to ensure available gates for the grounded planes.
To assist affected guests, Hawaiian Airlines sent additional employees to Honolulu’s airport.
However, due to the timing of the incident, mostly long-haul flights experienced delays.
Passengers were advised to expect further delays and potential cancellations throughout the rest of the day.
The airline acknowledged the inconvenience caused, especially considering it was the Friday before graduations and Mother’s Day, and assured passengers that they were working diligently to get everyone to their destinations.
Efforts were made to contact the third-party internet provider responsible for the outage, but as of the report, no response had been received.
The airline remained committed to resolving the issue and minimizing the impact on their guests.
While Hawaiian Airlines focused on addressing the situation, the community also extended support to affected passengers.
Hawaiian Pacific Health expressed understanding for those who encountered delays and ensured that their contingency plans allowed them to continue providing necessary care.
As the day progressed, the forecast predicted the return of stable conditions with a ridge building toward the western end of the state.
This provided some hope for improved travel conditions in the near future.
Despite the challenges faced by Hawaiian Airlines and its passengers, efforts were underway to overcome the internet outage and restore normal operations.
Passengers were advised to stay updated with the latest information from the airline and prepare for potential disruptions throughout the day.
