DOT Extends Lease to June 30th 2021!
Great News for Dillingham (Kawaihapai) Airfield
Aloha Kākou! First of all, we miss everyone and miss flying together in the magical slice of sky above Mokuleia. We hope that you are all staying safe and healthy.
We have a little bit of good news to report. As some of you may already know, the Hawaii State Department of Transportation Airports (DOTA) division intends to extend their lease agreement with the U.S. Army for management of Dillingham Airfield until June 30, 2021. The extension, which was requested by the Save Dillingham Airfield Organization, was formalized via a letter from DOTA to tenants and by a press release dated April 15th 2020.
In February of this year, DOTA had notified interested parties at Dillingham Airfield that it intended to end its lease with the U.S. Army for DOTA management of the airfield on June 30, 2020. This would have effectively shut down all civilian aviation activities at the airfield which accommodates 11 businesses that employ more than 130 people, and also close off access to many legal hiking trails along the airfield to civilians.
SDA has been appealing to DOTA for an extension of the lease termination with the support of a list of organizations including the General Aviation Council of Hawaii (GACH), Soaring Society of America (SSA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), North Shore Neighborhood Board (NSNB), and North Shore Chamber of Commerce (NSCC). Thank you to all these organizations for your support and leadership in helping to insure that civil aviation will always have a home in Hawaii.
Thank you to our community and everyone who has donated their time, energy and finances to keep this North Shore gem in the hands of the citizens.
We would also like to thank State Sen. Gil Riviere, Rep. Lauren Matsumoto, and Rep. Sean Quinlan, all early supporters of the SDA effort, as well as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and United States Parachute Association (USPA). They all made this issue a top priority and their support has played a vital role in securing the extension.
The DOTA cited the current COVID-19 crisis as the reason for the extension; noting that they will continue to work to terminate their lease with the U.S. Army, with a goal to do so by June 30, 2021. This is just an extension, but it will give us the time needed to seek out and arrange for a management solution. We have a long road ahead of us, and there is more work to be done to ensure that the airfield stays open to civil aviation for many decades to come.
Until the world gets back to some level of normal, we are going to be pausing our fundraising and team events. There is a lot that can still be done at this time and we are hard at work doing it. This is extension is a milestone worth celebrating and we look forward to working with you to Save Dillingham Airfield.
Stay safe. Stay healthy, and A Hui Hou.
