Input sought on draft air tour management plan for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

The National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration are seeking public feedback on a draft Air Tour Management Plan and associated environmental assessment that are being proposed for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

The agencies encourage anyone with an interest in or concern about air tours over Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to review and comment on the draft Air Tour Management Plan and environmental assessment. The proposed plan would:

• Authorize up to 1,565 air tours per year on three defined routes.
• Designate Wednesdays for quiet-technology flights only during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  
• Designate no-fly days on Sundays. 
• Establish specified flight times of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for non-quiet-technology flights and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for quiet-technology flights.  

Public feedback can be submitted through the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website starting May 16 through June 16 at 8 p.m.

The National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration will consider comments to help inform the final Air Tour Management Plan for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

The project website is available here.

Ten operators reported an average of 11,376 flights per year at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park between 2017 and 2019.

The National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration are working towards completing the air tour management plan for Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park by Dec. 31, 2023. The schedule is part of a plan approved by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for the agencies to comply with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000.     

An important part of the process is the inclusion of Native Hawaiian groups and individuals. The agencies are consulting with Native Hawaiian organizations and other groups that have lands adjacent to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and with kūpuna (elders) and individuals who attach historic and cultural significance to resources within the park.  

Links to meeting notifications, recordings, and slide decks will be posted to the National Park Service site.