(BIVN) – An asphalt crack in a runway forced the closure Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole on Friday.

The Department of Transportation issued a travel advisory at 10:15 a.m., announcing the temporarily closure of the airport in order to patch the crack in Runway 17-35.

The rumway was repaied and the Kona airport was reopened by noon.

From the Hawaiʻi DOT:

The crack in the pavement formed overnight, between the intersections of Taxiways “G” and “H.” Daily visual inspections are conducted on the runway, including an inspection by HDOT engineers and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials yesterday. Overnight rain is suspected as a contributing factor to the formation of the crack that was discovered early this morning.

Crews will conduct additional pavement repairs tonight, starting at 12:30 a.m. until 5 a.m. The paving activities are needed to establish a more long-term repair solution to the crack. There are no alternate runways at KOA, and therefore the airport will be closed for flight operations during the overnight repairs. In the event an emergency medical evacuation is needed, helicopter service out of KOA will be available. HDOT has coordinated with the airlines and other partners to minimize impacts to flights. There are no commercial flights scheduled during the closure peri

Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for information specific to their flights.

file photo by Hawaiʻi DOT

There was also a sudden closure of the Kona International Airport in January 2024 due to a damaged runway. That closure lasted overnight. At the time, Hawaiʻi DOT director Ed Sniffen said the State was going to be reconstructing the entire runway, in a project that is “starting up by August/September of this year.”