Lack of workers affecting hospitality and travel

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Airlines and travel officials are expecting a busier Fourth of July weekend and summer travel season compared to last year, but the shortage of workers continues to be an issue. They recommend for people pack their patience as they may be in for a long wait.

Pandemic-era staffing issues are still lingering years later, hotels, restaurants and airlines are still looking to beef up their rosters.

The Hawaiian Airlines Chief Operating Officer Jon Snook said the airline brought in 400 employees on board since January, and they are expecting to fill about 350 more positions by the end of the year.

Snook said, “There’s no question that has been harder to hire and all service industries, I think, since the pandemic, and we’ve not been immune to that it’s been harder to find good people.”

Compared to others, Snook said Hawaiian Airlines has experienced minimal impacts on its operation due to staffing.

Snook said, “We’ve canceled very few flights since Memorial Day. And I think we’ve been operating a pretty reliable operation.”

The need for employees is also evident on neighboring islands. The Maui Hotel and Lodging Association Executive Director Lisa Paulson said there are nearly 3,000 positions open at hotels, and they are doing more recruiting at schools.

“You don’t necessarily need to get a four year degree, you can get a certificate, you can get an associate’s degree and then go into the industry,” Paulson said. “So there is a greater need for getting those certificate programs. And we are working very closely with them to provide those.”

The TSA Hawaii Spokesperson Lorie Dankers said travelers should expect long waits during the summer travel months. She said the volume of visitors is causing long lines.

Dankers said, “There are times when we’re at capacity or over capacity. That is what drives the lines. That would is what drives security wait times.”

Dankers said TSA started recruitment for the holiday season, especially on neighbor islands. She added that some of the delays at Lihue Airport are due to the installation of new security scanners at checkpoints. That installation is nearly coming to an end.