Kona Airport Crisis: 40+ Flights Cut — LA, Seattle, Calgary, Chicago Hit

Quick Summary

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii has logged 40+ confirmed flight cancellations across multiple consecutive days in March 2026

Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and WestJet are all affected, with routes grounded to Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Calgary, and Vancouver

Saturday recorded the heaviest single-day toll — with at least 17 cancellations across all six carriers in a single day

Passengers are urged to check flight status immediately, rebook through airline apps, and assert U.S. DOT refund rights for all canceled domestic services

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii is reeling from a sustained wave of flight cancellations that has grounded more than 40 departures across multiple consecutive days in March 2026. The disruptions — striking routes to Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Calgary, and Vancouver — have left thousands of passengers stranded at one of Hawaii's most important visitor gateways, with Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and WestJet all recording significant groundings.

The cancellations span Wednesday through Sunday, with Saturday emerging as the most severely affected single day. As a transpacific-dependent airport with no land connection alternatives, Kona's flight cancellations impose uniquely difficult recovery scenarios on affected passengers — each canceled longhaul departure typically resulting in a minimum 24-hour delay before the next available rebooking window.

Saturday: The Worst Single Day at KOA

Saturday saw an extraordinary concentration of cancellations, with at least 17 flights grounded across all major carriers in a single day. United Airlines bore the heaviest load, with six separate Saturday cancellations spanning its B737 MAX 9, B752, B772, and B788 fleets across routes to San Francisco (three services), Los Angeles, Denver (two services), and Chicago O'Hare.

Delta Air Lines grounded four Saturday routes — to Los Angeles (B763), Seattle (B752), Salt Lake City (B763), and a repeated Los Angeles (B763) service — while American Airlines canceled its A321neo flights to both Phoenix Sky Harbor and Los Angeles, plus its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner service to Dallas-Fort Worth. WestJet had its B737-800 (B738) service to Vancouver grounded, while Southwest Airlines lost both morning and evening Boeing 737 MAX 8 (B38M) services to Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport).

Delta Cancels the Same Flights on Back-to-Back Days

One of the most striking patterns in this disruption is Delta Air Lines canceling the same flight numbers on multiple consecutive days. DAL486 (Boeing 767-300, Los Angeles) was grounded on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — three consecutive 10:15 PM HST departures on the identical rotation. DAL485 (Boeing 757-200, Seattle) was similarly grounded on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. DAL1498 (Boeing 767-300, Salt Lake City) was canceled on both Saturday and Sunday at 7:40 PM HST.

This multi-day pattern on the same flight numbers strongly indicates a persistent aircraft rotation or crew positioning breakdown rather than isolated weather or maintenance events.

United Airlines: Six Saturday Cancellations Alone

United Airlines recorded the highest individual carrier cancellation count across the disruption period, with at least eight separate cancellations. Six fell on Saturday alone:

UAL1724 (B39M) — San Francisco, Sat 10:55 PM HST
UAL1719 (B39M) — Los Angeles, Sat 10:10 PM HST
UAL2002 (B752) — Denver, Sat 9:50 PM HST
UAL1759 (B772) — Denver, Sat 7:35 PM HST
UAL67 (B788) — Chicago O'Hare, Sat 5:20 PM HST
UAL693 (B39M) — San Francisco, Sat 3:28 PM HST
UAL1722 (B753) — San Francisco, Sat 1:30 PM and 2:28 PM HST (two separate records)
UAL2372 (B39M) — Los Angeles, Sat 12:50 PM HST

The simultaneous grounding of two separate United Denver services on Saturday — including a Boeing 777-200 (B772) wide-body — points to severe operational strain on United's transpacific Kona rotations.

Hawaiian Airlines: Interisland Services Repeatedly Grounded

Hawaiian Airlines recorded four cancellations of its Boeing 717-200 (B712) interisland service between Kona (KOA) and Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye Intl / PHNL), with disruptions spanning Wednesday through Friday:

HAL1117 — canceled Wed at 4:27 PM HST and Thu at 4:27 PM HST (same flight, two consecutive days)
HAL1057 — canceled Fri at 11:20 AM HST
HAL1067 — canceled Fri at 12:30 PM HST
HAL1137 — canceled Fri at 5:30 PM HST

Three Hawaiian Airlines cancellations in a single Friday afternoon and evening effectively disrupted the entire interisland shuttle between Kona and Honolulu — a critical connection for both residents and visitors navigating the Hawaiian island chain.

Southwest's Honolulu Shuttle Also Hit

Southwest Airlines had four of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 (B38M) Kona–Honolulu services grounded across the disruption period:

SWA3475 — Sat 6:05 AM HST
SWA3479 — Sat 7:00 PM HST
SWA1462 — Sun 8:05 AM HST
SWA1462 (B738) — Wed 8:05 AM HST

The repeated cancellation of southwest's morning shuttle from Kona to Honolulu across multiple days leaves passengers relying on this intra-Hawaii connection with no same-morning alternative to reach Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

WestJet: Canadian Connections Severed

WestJet (WJA) canceled two international services from Kona to Canadian gateway airports, severing connectivity for Canadian visitors returning home:

WJA1891 (B38M) — Calgary International (CYYC), Sun 9:55 PM HST
WJA1883 (B738) — Vancouver International (CYVR), Sat 10:30 PM HST

For Canadian passengers, the cancellation of these direct services — which operate at limited frequency — typically means a minimum rebooking wait of 24–48 hours or a complex rerouting through a U.S. mainland hub.

Full Canceled Flight Log

Flight	Aircraft	Destination	Scheduled Departure
DAL486	B763	Los Angeles (KLAX)	Sun 10:15 PM HST
WJA1891	B38M	Calgary (CYYC)	Sun 09:55 PM HST
DAL485	B752	Seattle-Tacoma (KSEA)	Sun 08:55 PM HST
DAL1498	B763	Salt Lake City (KSLC)	Sun 07:40 PM HST
SWA1462	B38M	Honolulu (PHNL)	Sun 08:05 AM HST
UAL1724	B39M	San Francisco (KSFO)	Sat 10:55 PM HST
WJA1883	B738	Vancouver (CYVR)	Sat 10:30 PM HST
DAL486	B763	Los Angeles (KLAX)	Sat 10:15 PM HST
UAL1719	B39M	Los Angeles (KLAX)	Sat 10:10 PM HST
UAL2002	B752	Denver (KDEN)	Sat 09:50 PM HST
AAL664	A21N	Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX)	Sat 09:40 PM HST
AAL58	A21N	Los Angeles (KLAX)	Sat 09:17 PM HST
DAL485	B752	Seattle-Tacoma (KSEA)	Sat 08:55 PM HST
DAL1498	B763	Salt Lake City (KSLC)	Sat 07:40 PM HST
UAL1759	B772	Denver (KDEN)	Sat 07:35 PM HST
SWA3479	B38M	Honolulu (PHNL)	Sat 07:00 PM HST
AAL230	B788	Dallas-Fort Worth (KDFW)	Sat 06:10 PM HST
UAL67	B788	Chicago O'Hare (KORD)	Sat 05:20 PM HST
UAL693	B39M	San Francisco (KSFO)	Sat 03:28 PM HST
UAL1722	B753	San Francisco (KSFO)	Sat 02:28 PM HST
UAL1722	B753	San Francisco (KSFO)	Sat 01:30 PM HST
UAL2372	B39M	Los Angeles (KLAX)	Sat 12:50 PM HST
SWA3475	B38M	Honolulu (PHNL)	Sat 06:05 AM HST
DAL486	B763	Los Angeles (KLAX)	Fri 10:15 PM HST
DAL485	B752	Seattle-Tacoma (KSEA)	Fri 08:55 PM HST
HAL1137	B712	Honolulu (PHNL)	Fri 05:30 PM HST
HAL1067	B712	Honolulu (PHNL)	Fri 12:30 PM HST
HAL1057	B712	Honolulu (PHNL)	Fri 11:20 AM HST
HAL1117	B712	Honolulu (PHNL)	Thu 04:27 PM HST
HAL1117	B712	Honolulu (PHNL)	Wed 04:27 PM HST
SWA1462	B738	Honolulu (PHNL)	Wed 08:05 AM HST

Key Facts at a Glance

40+ flights canceled at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) across Wednesday through Sunday in March 2026
Saturday was the single worst day — at least 17 cancellations across Delta, United, American, Southwest, and WestJet
Delta canceled DAL486 (Los Angeles) and DAL485 (Seattle) on three consecutive days — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
United Airlines recorded the most cancellations of any carrier — at least 8, including 6 on Saturday alone
Hawaiian Airlines had 5 interisland Boeing 717-200 services to Honolulu grounded across Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Los Angeles (KLAX) was the most-canceled mainland destination — grounded across Delta, United, and American across multiple days
WestJet had both its Calgary and Vancouver services grounded, isolating direct Canada–Kona connectivity
Carriers affected: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, WestJet
Aircraft types grounded: B763, B752, B753, B772, B788, B39M, B38M, B738, A21N, B712

What This Means for Travelers

Kona's geographic reality makes these cancellations especially painful. With no land alternative to reach the mainland or interisland destinations, every canceled transpacific or interisland departure means a mandatory wait for the next scheduled service — which on many routes operates just once or twice daily.

For international passengers flying WestJet from Calgary or Vancouver, the disruption is compounded by limited rebooking options: direct Canada–Kona services are seasonal and infrequent, and rerouting through a U.S. hub adds significant complexity and cost.

Hawaii tourism — which contributes billions to the state economy annually — is taking a direct hit. For the Big Island specifically, visitors arriving through Kona represent a major portion of the island's inbound tourism. Extended groundings delay hotel check-ins, disrupt pre-booked tours, and in some cases force outright trip cancellations with associated non-refundable losses.

Passengers holding onward connections through Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle to international destinations face the compounding risk of losing those connections, potentially adding 24–48 hours to their total journey.

Travel Tips for Affected KOA Passengers

Check your flight status right now via your airline's app before heading to the airport — do not assume a transpacific flight is operating without live confirmation
Rebook immediately online — transpacific routes have limited daily frequency and rebooking slots fill quickly during disruption events
Claim your full cash refund if you choose not to rebook — guaranteed under U.S. DOT regulations for any canceled domestic flight; international flight rights vary by carrier
WestJet passengers (Canada): contact WestJet directly for priority rebooking and explore rerouting via Los Angeles or San Francisco to access Canadian connections
Hawaiian Airlines interisland passengers: check availability on Mokulele Airlines or Southwest's Honolulu service as alternative options for reaching Honolulu
Keep all receipts for accommodation, meals, and alternate transport — these support out-of-pocket reimbursement and travel insurance claims
Activate travel insurance coverage if you hold a policy — trip disruption cover may apply to additional accommodation and rebooking costs in Hawaii

Frequently Asked Questions

How many flights were canceled at Kona Airport (KOA) in March 2026? More than 40 flights have been confirmed canceled at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) across multiple consecutive days in March 2026, spanning Wednesday through Sunday. Saturday was the worst single day with at least 17 cancellations across all carriers.

Which airlines canceled the most flights at Kona? United Airlines recorded the highest cancellation count — at least 8 services, including 6 on Saturday alone across flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago O'Hare. Delta Air Lines canceled the same Los Angeles (DAL486) and Seattle (DAL485) routes on three consecutive days — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Which destinations were most affected by Kona flight cancellations? Los Angeles (KLAX) was the most frequently affected mainland destination, with cancellations across Delta, United, and American Airlines on multiple days. San Francisco (KSFO) had multiple United cancellations on Saturday. Honolulu (PHNL) was the most-canceled interisland destination, with Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest both grounding multiple services.

What should Canadian travelers do if their WestJet flight from Kona was canceled? Contact WestJet customer service directly to explore priority rebooking options. If no direct Kona–Canada service is available within an acceptable window, ask about rerouting through a U.S. gateway such as Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) to connect onward to Calgary or Vancouver. Keep all receipts for additional hotel or transport costs, and check your travel insurance policy for trip disruption reimbursement coverage.

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Disclaimer: Flight cancellation data is based on operational records from the disruption period across multiple days in March 2026. Flight numbers, schedules, aircraft types, and carrier assignments are sourced from publicly reported data and are subject to change. Always verify your individual flight status directly with your airline before traveling to the airport. U.S. DOT refund protections apply to domestic flights; Canadian and international passenger rights vary by carrier and applicable aviation regulations — contact your airline directly for claim-specific guidance.