The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected Hawaiian carrier Mokulele Flight Services to provide air service from Kamuela on Hawaii island to Kahului on Maui under the US government's Essential Air Service programme.
The four-year contract, detailed in a 3 July filing by the DOT, also permits Mokulele to operate flights from Kamuela to Honolulu.
Mokulele Flight Services, which does business as Mokulele Airlines, will operate twelve weekly roundtrip flights from 1 October to 30 September 2017 using nine-seat Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft.
Under the Essential Air Service programme, the government pays subsidies to airlines to ensure smaller communities do not lose air service.
Mokulele will receive subsidies of $494,291, $434,411, $417,310 and $412,389 for years one through four, respectively, the DOT says.
The carrier takes over the service from Pacific Wings.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
