Airport Master Plan Meeting to Assess Future Capacity

Kahului Airport, control tower. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

The state Department of Transportation will host an informational meeting next week to update the public on the Kahului Airport Master Plan and Noise Compatibility Program.

The meeting is the fourth of five scheduled on Maui to provide the public with information on the plan, and to solicit public input.

The meeting runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at the Pomaikai Elementary School Cafeteria in Kahului.

The purpose of the Kahului Airport Master Plan Update is to assess the capacity of existing facilities and to determine if these facilities are adequate to meet projected future demands. The Kahului Airport Noise Compatibility Program will identify existing non-compatible land uses, prevent additional non-compatible land uses and proposes measures to reduce any non-compatible land uses.

Presentations will be made on recently completed operations, passenger forecasts, and planned improvements.

There will also be an opportunity for the public to provide comments on the planned improvements.

“The proposed master plan will be used as a guide at Kahului Airport to upgrade existing facilities and to provide for future needs,” said Glenn Okimoto, state DOT director.

“Public input is crucial in developing a long-term plan that will successfully continue to meet the needs of the community,” he said.