If Hawaii is in your travel plans over the next few days, you may want to consider delaying your travel — or, at least, keep yourself updated as to the latest information — due to the recent volcanic activity of Mauna Loa, which continued at the time this article was written.
Travel Alert November 2022: Volcanic Activity Disrupts Travel in Hawaii
After being dormant since 1984 — which is at least 38 years — volcanic activity began at Mauna Loa yesterday, Monday, November 28, 2022.
According to the United States Geological Survey, dozens of occurrences of seismic activity — ranging from 2.5 to 4.0 on the Richter scale — have been detected in connection with the volcanic activity of Mauna Loa, which is located on the big island of Hawaii.
Although Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is technically open, some closures are in effect — including Mauna Loa itself.
Kīlauea and Mauna Loa erupt together. Photo from Kūpinaʻi Pali at 6:06 a.m. Monday in the park.
The park is open, but some closures are in place: https://t.co/uGEAjyqjH3
NPS Photo/J.Ibasan pic.twitter.com/fZ6bShiiZt
— Hawaii Volcanoes NPS (@Volcanoes_NPS) November 28, 2022
https://twitter.com/keckobservatory/status/1597393598936657921
https://twitter.com/Paradisecopters/status/1597382309959073792
Mauna Loa erupting at sunrise is literally the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/YQdDfKHCMH
— Paul (@pfranci2) November 28, 2022
Flight Waivers, Delays and Cancellations
If Hawaii is in your travel plans over the next few days, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to this volcanic activity which may affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.
If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary. If you are driving in any of the affected areas, watch out for deteriorating weather conditions and traffic problems.
Two airlines which have issued a travel alert as a result of this volcanic activity at the time this article was written are:
- Southwest Airlines has issued travel alerts for Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, and Lihue for Monday, November 28, 2022 through Tuesday, November 29, 2022; and Tuesday, December 13, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Hawaiian Airlines has issued travel alerts for Hilo and Kona for Monday, November 28, 2022 through Sunday, December 4, 2022; and Wednesday, December 14, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
Final Boarding Call
Volcanoes can be unpredictable and another eruption could occur; so be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected — and please: travel safely.
Source: The United States Geological Survey.
