HALEAKALA, Hawaii — A new plan to reduce the amount of air tours over Haleakala National Park, which has been in the making for two decades, was completed on Thursday by the National Park Service and Federal Aviation Administration, according to a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • Federal officials hope the Air Tour Management Plan will mitigate adverse effects on visitors’ experiences as well as the cultural and environmental resources of the parks

  • Under the new plan, 2,224 air tours will be allowed annually, a 54% reduction from the current average of 4,824 flights per year

  • The plan also regulates the route, altitude, times and days that air tours may be conducted

  • The NPS and FAA completed a similar plan for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at the end of last year

Federal officials hope the Air Tour Management Plan will mitigate adverse effects on visitors’ experiences as well as the cultural and environmental resources of the parks. 

Under the new plan, 2,224 air tours will be allowed annually, a 54% reduction from the current average of 4,824 flights per year.

Air tours will be limited to a single one-way route from west to east over the southern part of the park, which avoids Haleakala Crater. (A quarter mile buffer on either side of the route delineates the acceptable range of deviation, which will not trigger enforcement action.) Stacking aircraft, also known as vertical separation, along the route is banned. 

The plan establishes minimum flying altitudes of 2,000 feet above ground level over land and 3,000 feet above ground level over the ocean. 

The plan will limit times that the air tours can occur to between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Air tours using quiet technology may fly from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days.

Air tours are not allowed on Sundays and Wednesdays. The plan also prohibits flying on six days, which vary from year to year as they follow the Hawaiian Moon Calendar and Makahiki Season, two culturally significant Hawaii state holidays, and six additional days of significance to Native Hawaiians. 

Lastly, the plan states by Jan. 1, 2033, all commercial air tours must use quiet technology aircraft.

The NPS and FAA completed a similar plan for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Dec. 20, 2023. 

In 2019, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park had the highest number of air tours, and Haleakala had the fifth highest number of air tours out of all the national parks, according to a NPS report.

The Air Tour Management Plan puts the NPS and FAA in compliance with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000. In May 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., ordered the two federal agencies to comply with the act after the Hawaiian Island Coalition Malama Pono and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility sued.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

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