United Airlines to cut service from Hilo to LAX, the airport's last nonstop route to the mainland

Hilo International Airport (ITO), which serves the eastern side of Hawaii Island, will lose its only nonstop service to the continental United States come 2023. Over the weekend, United Airlines filed plans to discontinue the only available nonstop flight between Hilo and the mainland, via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), effective Jan. 7. Once that route is gone, ITO will only offer inter-island flights to Kahului, Maui and Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Mokulele Airlines. From those two busier airports, travelers could take a domestic or international connection. "We regularly adjust our schedule and continue to be a leader in service to Hawaii from the continental US, including offering the most service to Kona of all US carriers," United Airlines spokesperson Maddie King said.<br/>