Flight Cancellations Pile Up for Hawaii Travelers

Nov 15, 2026

Hawaii's airports are seeing a wave of canceled flights that's bad news for travelers trying to get home or start trips, after a Friday air traffic ground stop set off a chain reaction.

  • Cancellations more than doubled at several Hawaii airports since the ground stop, hitting Honolulu, Kahului, Lihue, and Kona.
  • Alaska/Hawaiian, Southwest, and United have the most canceled flights in the state.
  • Dozens of passengers slept overnight at Honolulu's airport, and some travelers faced waits of 8-9 hours just to get rebooked.
  • Airlines say they're still working to get planes and crews back into position, with Alaska Hawaiian alone canceling over 400 flights affecting more than 37,000 passengers.

Outlook: Airlines expect it will take more time to fully restore normal schedules as they reposition aircraft and crews.

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