“Commercial air tour routes over Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park” from Figure 2 of the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park ATMP

(BIVN) – Federal officials are seeking public input on a draft Air Tour Management Plan that is being proposed for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

The Draft ATMP, along with the associated Environmental Assessment and EA Appendices, are available online for viewing.

The National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration are encouraging “anyone with an interest in or concern about air tours over Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park” to review and comment on the draft documents. According to a National Park Service news release, the proposed plan would:  

• Authorize up to 1,565 air tours per year on three defined routes.
• Designate Wednesdays for quiet-technology (QT) 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-QT flights and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for QT flights.  

From the NPS news release:

Public feedback can be submitted through the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website starting May 16, 2023, through June 16, 2023, at 8 p.m. HST. The NPS and FAA will consider comments to help inform the final ATMP for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The project website is available at: ParkPlanning – Hawai’i Volcanoes Draft ATMP, EA and FAQs.

Ten operators reported an average of 11,376 flights per year at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park between 2017 and 2019. The NPS is developing an air tour management plan for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in cooperation with the FAA. The agencies are working towards completing the air tour management plan for Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park by December 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.  

Please visit this NPS site and this FAA site for more detailed information about air tour management plans. Links to meeting notifications, recordings, and slide decks will be posted to the NPS site.