Posted on Friday, 4 May 2018

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted on May 3rd, causing lava to flow into nearby towns and prompting mandatory evacuations. Reports suggest 10,000 locals have been told to leave their homes.

But the eruption has also impacted travellers who are either in Hawaii or travelling there soon.

Are you affected?

At time of writing, not all airlines have commented on how flights may be impacted.

Hawaiian Airlines, however, have issued a travel waiver meaning its customs can change their flights.

If you have a flight booked to Hawaii in the coming days, contact your airline directly to see if you are affected.

Mount Kilauea is located on Hawaii Island, which is several hundred kilometres from O'ahu Island, where the capital, Honolulu, is located. Two-thirds of the population of Hawaii State - which comprises several islands - lives on O'ahu.

What parts of Hawaii Island are impacted?

Leilani Estates has been affected - it is a subdivision of the lower East Rift Zone of the volcano. According to Cindy McMillan, the spokeswoman of Leilani Estates' governor, around 1,700 people there have been told to evacuate.

Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared by Hawaii's governor, David Ige. The Hawaii National Guard has been drafted in to assist.

Ige tweeted: "I urge residents in Leilani Estates and the surrounding areas to follow instructions. ... Please be alert and prepare now to keep your family safe."

The Foreign Office has yet to update its USA Travel Advice page in relation to the Hawaii eruption. You can visit the page here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

Impacted resorts

Those who are in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or Leilani Estates - or those who have booked accommodation there - are most immediately impacted by the eruption.

There are popular resorts on the west of the island too. These are located 60km from Kilauea.

Affected Airports

It is currently unclear which airports might be affected by the eruption. The nearest airport is Hilo International, approximately 50km from Mt. Kilauea.

There are 18 airports spread across the Hawaiian islands. The busiest, Honolulu International, is several hundred kilometres from the eruption epicentre.

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