Stakeholders from Hawaii Helicopter Association (HHA), Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division (HDOTA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Helicopter Association International (HAI), elected officials and their representatives, and other industry stakeholders formalized a task force structure today to address safety, noise and other issues related to helicopter and fixed-wing aerial tours.

Justin Brooke, HHA President, and Ford Fuchigami, HDOTA Administrative Services Officer, will co-chair the Hawaii Air Tour Task Force. The FAA agreed to work with the Task Force as technical advisors.

Identifying and establishing stakeholder members from the community will be a top priority as the task force takes shape. “One of the main topics of today’s meeting was how to involve the community in this effort as we move forward,” said Justin Brooke, Co-Chair of the Task Force.

HDOTA is applying for grant funding from the FAA and will also commit state dollars to fund public meetings, produce a study and make recommendations concerning the helicopter and fixed wing tour industry. The task force’s formation is the next step forward on the part of the industry, regulators and other interested parties to address the public’s concerns regarding helicopter and fixed-wing aerial tours in the state of Hawaii. For more information about the Hawaii Air Tour Task Force, visit HawaiiAirTourTaskForce.org