If youʻre headed to the northern coast of Kauai from Oahu, you'll be happy to know that Makani Kai Air has begun flights to the Princeville Airport, a private airport just 3 miles east of Hanalei. The normal route you'd take to Hanalei, flying into Lihue and driving, is in comparison a much longer journey, with Lihue measuring in at 31 miles away from Hanalei.

These flights will begin in May and cost $125 each way. The trip will take about 48 minutes, and flyers won't have to worry about any layovers as it's a direct trip to Princeville Airport.

“Historically speaking, the Princeville area has shown an appetite for direct air service to Honolulu,” Richard Schuman, owner of Makani Kai Air, said in a press release. “Our customers appreciate not having to fight traffic into Lihue, not having to go through a TSA line, and they appreciate our fixed airfare, which doesn’t change from day to day. There are no surprises over what our airfare might be on a holiday weekend or any other time.”

Much like Mokulele Airlines, another inter-island carrier, Makani Kai Air operates smaller planes than competitors such as Southwest Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. This means you'll likely be sharing your aircraft with a handful of other flyers, and have a much nicer view flying out of Oahu and into Kauai (and vice-versa), as these smaller crafts tend to fly closer to the ground.

For more information, visit Makani Kai Air's website, or call them at (808) 834-1111.