Airlines sending planes to Maui for passenger evacuations

United Airlines and American Airlines said they are sending planes to Maui for passenger evacuations as catastrophic wildfires sweep through the Hawaiian island. 

In a statement shared with The Hill, United Airlines said it canceled Thursday’s inbound flights to Kahului Airport on Maui and will instead send empty planes to be used as passenger flights back to the mainland.

American Airlines said it expects to operate all of Thursday’s scheduled flights to and from Kahului Airport on Maui and has added an additional flight. The company also upgraded an aircraft “to ensure customers evacuating OGG are able to do so,” according to a statement from the airline.

Both American Airlines and United Airlines issued travel alerts for those flying to and from Maui.

American Airlines said those with travel plans affected by the wildfires can rebook without fees, or cancel and request a refund. United Airlines said customers will receive a full refund if they cancel and waived change fees and fare differences if they reschedule their trip to depart between Aug. 8-16. 

The hurricane-driven wildfires tore through the island this week, killing at least 36 people as of Wednesday night, according to Maui County officials. More than 271 structures were damaged and dozens are injured, officials said.

Hawaii’s Department of Transportation has coordinated multiple mass bus evacuations to take people to Kahului Airport to fly off the island.

The fires were charged by strong wings from Hurricane Dora, which passed hundreds of miles south of Hawaii. The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued high-wind and fire-weather alerts, as parts of the islands saw wind gusts up to 82 miles per hour this week, according to the National Weather Service.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Lake — who was serving as acting governor — declared a state of emergency Tuesday, allowing the government to activate the National Guard and release emergency funds. President Biden also ordered all federal assets to be available on the islands to respond and said the federal Department of Transportation is working with commercial airlines to assist in the evacuation.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy’s 3rd Fleet are already assisting in the response efforts, he added.

The Coast Guard said Wednesday that it rescued a total of 14 people from the waters off Lahaina Town. Two men who live in Lahaina said they were forced to escape into the ocean and held onto a jetty until the Coast Guard rescued them.