Some major U.S. airlines have joined the relief effort as crews grapple with containing wildfires in Maui, Hawaii.
The Lahaina blaze has claimed at least 55 lives since it sparked earlier this week, beginning as small brush fires and growing into the country’s most deadly wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California killed 85 people.
In an attempt to bolster relief efforts, United Airlines and American Airlines have announced plans to send planes to the island and evacuate people to the mainland, the companies said in respective tweets.
As wildfires continue to devastate Maui, our entire #AATeam is working to support those affected. Our top priority is the safety of our customers and team members, as well as supporting evacuation efforts by adding additional flights out of Maui and upgrading aircraft to provide… pic.twitter.com/6hgFGEMXj5
— americanair (@AmericanAir) August 10, 2023
United Airlines canceled scheduled flights to Maui’s Kahului Airport in order to free up seats for people seeking refuge from the fires. Since Wednesday, eight United flights have departed Maui with evacuees, and 15 more flights were scheduled to do the same Friday, a spokesperson said.
United sent a plane carrying supplies from the Red Cross, including soap, tissues, toothpaste, toothbrushes and blankets from San Francisco to Hawaii on Friday.
Safety is the first priority for our customers and employees, and we are closely monitoring the devastating conditions in Maui. Today’s flights to Kahului Airport have been canceled so our planes can fly empty to Maui and be used to bring passengers back to the mainland. [1/2]
— United Airlines (@united) August 10, 2023
American Airlines also encouraged customers to donate to the American Red Cross, offering 10 AAdvantage bonus miles with every $25 donated.
While Southwest Airlines hasn’t publicly announced plans to help with evacuation efforts, the airline posted relief funds on its Twitter account.
The death toll from the fires is expected to rise, officials have said, though the bulk of the Lahaina blaze has been contained.
Thousands of residents and tourists have fled Maui and the big island of Hawaii as of Friday, and officials strongly discouraged people from coming to the area until the fires were under control and search-and-rescue operations were completed.
