Lanai majority owner Larry Ellison is getting quite a bit of help from the state and federal government to the tune of nearly $28 million for improvements to Lanai Airport, the sole airport on the Pineapple Island.
The state-owned airport is part of the 2 percent of the island that the billionaire CEO of Oracle Corp. doesn’t own.
The airport, which has a 5,000-foot-long runway, about 1,900 feet shorter than Kahului Airport on Maui, is scheduled to undergo $27 million in runway safety improvements.
Caroline Sluyter, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, told PBN that 90 percent of the $27 million is coming from federal funding.
The state has prepared, under the National Environmental Policy Act, a draft environmental assessment for the safety improvements.
Additionally, the state, with some help from the Federal Aviation Administration, is spending $900,000 for improvements to Lanai Airport, including a renovation of the terminal and an update to the airport’s master plan and noise program.
Meantime, Ellison’s Lanai Resorts LLC is currently in discussions with the state DOT regarding numerous improvements at Lanai Airport, Sluyter told PBN.
She pointed out that details of these improvements aren’t available at this time.
Ellison, who purchased 98 percent of Lanai about a year ago for a reportedly $300 million, has made known, through Lanai Resorts, that access to the island is a key issue that will be addressed.
Major steps in this initiative include acquiring Island Air in February and also buying another interisland airline — go! — which is expected to be officially announced on Friday.
