Kona's only runway shut down again after crews found a new crack, stranding and diverting travelers — bad news for anyone flying to the Big Island.

• The runway closed for about 90 minutes Thursday afternoon while crews patched the pavement, and six incoming flights were sent elsewhere.
• This is the fifth time since the start of 2024 that pavement problems have forced a closure during operating hours.
• A repair project worth more than $100 million has been running since August 2024, yet the cracks keep coming back, raising questions about the quality of the work.
• Kona has just one runway, so any problem shuts the whole airport down; a second runway is being discussed but is 10 to 20 years away.

Outlook: A longer overnight closure was planned for a more permanent fix, and state transportation officials say they will investigate why the repairs keep failing.