Mokulele Airlines wins $19.4m essential air service contract for Lanai

Mokulele Airlines has received a new essential air service contract from the US Department of Transportation to serve the Hawaiian island of Lanai, the carrier's parent and the department said.

The four-year contract is valued at $19.4 million, or roughly 16.7 million euros, and runs until August 2030. Ticket revenue is not included in that figure.

The regional airline, part of Surf Air Mobility, will operate 63 weekly round trips, or 126 individual flights, under the contract. Of those, 42 weekly round trips cover the Lanai to Honolulu sector, with the remaining 21 on Lanai to Kahului on Maui.

Mokulele carries out about 112 departures a day across five Hawaiian islands. It has recently invested in new Cessna Caravan aircraft.