Island Air
A former U.S. regional carrier that operated scheduled services within Hawaii, using turboprop aircraft suited to short island routes.
About Island Air
Island Air was a privately owned regional airline based in Hawaii. It began operations in 1980 as Princeville Airways, initially serving resort traffic on Kauai, and later traded as Aloha IslandAir before adopting the Island Air name in 1995. Its legal operating company was Hawaii Island Air, Inc., and PacifiCap held a controlling interest during its final years.
The airline’s Hawaiian operation was centered on Honolulu, with services connecting communities and visitor destinations including Kahului, Hoolehua, Kauai Island and Lanai. Its recorded network comprised 48 routes serving exactly 23 destinations across one country. Atlanta, Billings, Honolulu, Kahului and Hoolehua were the busiest departure points by number of routes in the supplied network.
Aircraft associated with Island Air’s route record include the Beechcraft Beech 1900, De Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 family and Saab SF-340. These turboprops were designed for relatively short regional sectors and access to smaller airports. Service was generally straightforward and economy-focused, without the extensive premium cabins or long-haul amenities offered by larger network airlines.
Island Air was not a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld. It operated its own Island Miles frequent-flyer programme and also formed commercial partnerships during parts of its history, helping passengers connect with larger carriers. Because the airline has ceased operating, its former loyalty benefits, balances and partnership arrangements should not be treated as active.
Island Air’s principal strength was its ability to link smaller island communities with Honolulu and other Hawaiian gateways using appropriately sized regional aircraft. Turboprop operations could also mean more cabin noise and less storage space than on larger jets. The airline ended operations and filed for bankruptcy in November 2017, so its routes are no longer bookable under the Island Air name.
Good to know
Flying with Island Air — what to expect
Airline No Longer Operating
Island Air ceased operations in November 2017. Tickets sold under its name are no longer available, so travellers should use currently operating carriers for Hawaiian inter-island journeys.
Regional Turboprop Fleet
Island Air used turboprops intended for short regional flights. Passengers could expect more engine noise and more limited overhead-bin space than aboard a mainline jet.
Check Baggage Rules
Historical baggage policies are no longer applicable. When replacing a former Island Air itinerary, check the operating carrier’s current limits, fees and rules for inter-island connections.
Honolulu Connections
Honolulu was central to Island Air’s Hawaiian operation. Travellers arranging a similar journey today should allow sufficient time for terminal changes and separate-ticket baggage procedures.
Historic Loyalty Programme
Island Miles was Island Air’s frequent-flyer programme, but it is no longer active. Travellers should not expect old balances or status benefits to be redeemable.
Network overview
Where Island Air flies
Island Air operates 48 routes to 23 destinations across 1 countries, its longest sector reaching Atlanta to Lewisburg (594 km nonstop).
Destinations served
Cities Island Air flies to, most-served first.
Main hubs
Busiest departure bases, by route count.
Fleet
Aircraft types on record for these routes.
Longest nonstop route
Atlanta → Lewisburg
594 km · ATL → LWB
The longest sector in the Island Air network, measured as the great-circle distance between the two airports.
Route data · TravelPayouts route data · updated 2026-07
Route network
Popular routes operated by Island Air
Notable destinations on Island Air's network.
WPAtlantadirectWPHonoluludirectWPBillingsdirectWPKahuluidirectWPGlasgowdirectWPGlendivedirectWPHoolehuadirectWPKauai IslanddirectWPLanaidirectWPLewistowndirectWPMiles CitydirectWPSidneydirectDestination list is indicative of Island Air's network; see the airline's official route map for its complete, current schedule.
Reviews of Island Air
TripAdvisor · 2017–2018- 517
- 411
- 34
- 23
- 115
What travellers flew
Counted from the 50 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
No call, no email, BS company!!!
This company went out of business without a call, email or any other notification. If I wouldn't of checked prior to our trip, we would have been stuck in Roatan for at least one day before being able to continue on. One email and I would not have been so… See more upset.
See lessPosted December 2018 by Terry H
HORRIBLE!!!!
Booked (and PAID) for flight and extra baggage fees in March 2018 for our trip in September 2018; arrived to Roatan, and upon arrival tried to verify our flight for the following week and time, only to find out they are no longer in business??!!!! No call, no… See more cancellation, no nothing....I guess no refund either since there is no contact info $600+ they stole from me. NOT GOOD HUMAN PRACTICE.
See lessPosted September 2018 by nhug12018, Maui
Sweet airline...
Another fine airline. No issues, no problems. Would use them again. And remember you are flying to Paradise. It's all good.
Posted December 2017 by TheDude23112, Midlothian
helpful
staff extremely helpful, kind, cheerful, & held flight for us to make the connection. They rebooked us when they did not need to. Great service.
Posted December 2017 by Wild Q, Tok
Great short flight
I hate flying! No, I really do. I’ve taken Amtrak from Oregon to NY just to avoid flying! Some of it is fear of crashing and most of it is claustrophobia. I’d be fine being the pilot, I just don’t like sitting in the back while somebody else is at the… See more controls. Every once I. A while there is no other option such as Hawaii. So my daughter was getting married and we needed to go to Hawaii. So we took the aforementioned Amtrak from LA to Vancouver BC, then took a cruise to Hawaii. That’s the good news. The bad news is there is no cruise coming back until April, 6 months later! Sheesh. The other bad news is the ferry from Oahu to Maui no longer runs. So Island hopping via airplane is our only choice. We chose Island Air and it was very nice. I’d certainly fly Island Air again!
See lessPosted December 2017 by Dr. Tim, Marana
Excellent flight, ground gripe with common rules between airlines
We were less than 20minutes in the air. One of the flight attendants took to the mic to explain to the passengers what we were seeing on our left and right sides. It felt like we were on a tour and we greatly appreciated it. Also, they gave us taro roots… See more cookie and some exotic fruit juice. For a flight that short it was a pleasant surprise. On the ground, before the flight they seemed to have had some problems with flight sharing with United Airlines - they could not find us in the system and we had to wait longer before our boarding passes were printed. Also, their carry-on luggage allowance was lower (6kg) which was a disappointment - we had to check-in our small carry-on suitcases (for $25 each), which we specifically bought for this flight.
See lessPosted October 2017 by northern_prairie
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
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FAQ
Island Air — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- The busiest departure points by route count were Atlanta, Billings, Honolulu, Kahului and Hoolehua, in that order. Island Air’s better-known Hawaiian services were concentrated around Honolulu and the neighbouring islands.
- Island Air’s longest recorded route was Atlanta to Lewisburg, about 594 km nonstop.
- Island Air served exactly 23 destinations across 1 country, operating 48 routes. These are historical services because the airline is no longer operating.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts and never adds a fee. Because Island Air is defunct, searches will instead surface available alternatives from operating carriers.
- Island Air’s recorded destinations included Atlanta, Billings, Honolulu, Kahului, Hoolehua, Kauai Island, Lanai, Glasgow, Glendive, Lewistown, Miles City and Sidney. The airline ceased operating in 2017, so these services are not currently available.
- Island Air’s former carry-on rules are no longer applicable because the carrier has ceased operations. Regional turboprops generally have limited overhead storage, but travellers should follow the current operating airline’s published dimensions and weight limits.
- Island Air tickets are no longer sold because the airline ceased operations in November 2017. For comparable Hawaiian inter-island travel, compare current carriers across several dates and avoid peak holiday periods when possible.
- Atlanta has the largest number of departures in the recorded route network, followed by Billings and Honolulu. Historically, Island Air’s Hawaiian operation was based primarily at Honolulu.