HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0166.002 2012-2014 COUNTY cr c (2 ti4 t- 1''`( V
COUNTY RECEIVED P/001A
Time iv' J By
Date 20/3 MI 13- +E_ , 771>/COMP' I(ao
The Kona International Airport at Keahole was completed and opened on July 1, 1970,to serve the
residents of and visitors to Kona. Back then there were only two inter-island air carriers,Aloha operated
in the north terminal and Hawaiian in the south. That first year the airport served approximately
500,000 passengers to and from Kona. In 1983, United Airlines relocated from Hilo to Kona followed by
TWA which was later absorbed by American. Japan Airlines followed in 1996. Fast forward to 2007 and
with the addition of Northwest, Delta,ATA,Air Canada,Westlet, USAir and later Alaska,the airport
served a record 3.2 million passengers. Yet all the while we operated and continue to operate in the
same terminal footprint that was built in 1970.
There's no doubt we need to add capacity to make the customer experience more pleasant, convenient
and efficient while retaining the special allure that makes Kona unique amongst the world's airports.
Long check-in and security lines,confusing inspection processing, inadequate seating,fewer shopping
and eating choices, protection from inclement weather can be remedied with smart terminal expansion.
The effort toward modernization began in earnest in 2005 with a safety and security study as we
realized that overcrowding and congestion would severely tax our ability to provide a safe and secure
airport environment. It was during that study that two"enabling" projects would have to be considered
if we were to embark on major construction. First, Kona would need a new and relocated air traffic
control tower and second,the Colonel Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center would need to be relocated to
provide airline and public circulation space. The new air traffic control tower was completed and
opened to service in October last year. Funding for a successive phase of construction and relocation of
the Colonel Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center is why I seek your support today.
I would be remiss if I did not remind everyone of the Ellison Onizuka legacy and how he inspired our
youth to excellence and to dream big and achieve their dreams. My daughter Larissa,was in Mrs.Susan
Miyashita's first grade class in 1985 at Kealakehe Elementary when she first met Ellison. She
determined from that day on that she would be an astronaut. She wrote poems about space,about
astronauts and drew pictures. She was shattered that January morning as we both watched in disbelief
as the Challenger vehicle separated into two large pieces and fell to earth. From that day on,she no
longer talked about space;about being an astronaut. My Vicky and I were deeply saddened as we saw
our daughter's heart and dreams crushed. As a 30-year airline veteran it was hard not to talk about
flight and travel because we lived it daily. When she was about 16 we had the discussion with her about
what she wanted to do in life and her plans for college. She sheepishly told us that she wanted to be a
pilot. We were ecstatic. The dream was sti I alive. With that we told her she needed learn to fly;Civil
Air Patrol,Air Force or a flight school. junior at Konawaena she finished her senior year at
Kamehameha where she obtained a scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University one of the
nation's leading aviation schools. We were further surprised on receiving a letter not admitting into the
aeronautical science program which is flight training but instead to the school of engineering. Though
her professor Dr. Richard Felton told me once that"this kid could get a seat on the shuttle" she has
opted instead for a career on the ground as an aerospace engineer at the Boeing Company in Seattle,
Washington where she been employed since 2005. The dream is very much alive!
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Thank you Karen,for this resolution;chairnd members of the County council for allowing me to
testify today. I humbly ask for your support of this resolution. Mahalo piha!
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