A volcanic eruption in Hawaii will likely dent bookings and revenue in the second quarter, Hawaiian Airlines said.

A powerful eruption at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano started early last month, forcing evacuations of nearby residents. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed.

Hawaiian said it expects second-quarter revenue for each seat it flies a mile, a key industry metric, will come in 0.5 percent lower to 1.5 percent higher than it did a year ago. The airline previously estimated revenue would be flat to up as much as 3 percent.

The airline also warned about higher-than-expected fuel costs, an issue that has hit the airline industry broadly.

Hawaiian's shares were off nearly 1 percent in after-hours trading. </s> Hawaiian Airlines announced that no operational issues with their flights are being caused by the eruptions on Kīlauea; however, the air carrier is making slight schedule changes effective July 2018.

“Starting next month, we are eliminating one evening round-trip flight per day (out of 15) to and from Hilo, and one evening and one morning round-trip per day (out of 23) to and from Kona,” said Alex Da Silva, senior manager, external communications, for Hawaiian Airlines. “We are taking flights out of periods that have enough frequency to allow us to maintain the robust schedule of flying that our residents, in particular, expect.”

“When the changes take effect in July, Hawaiian will still fly 14 HNL-ITO-HNL frequencies, between 5 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., and 21 HNL-KOA-HNL frequencies, between 5 a.m. and 9:50 p.m,” said Da Silva. “We have not seen operational disruption at our airports due to the volcano and continue to encourage those who wish to visit Hawai’i Island to do so.” </s> Despite over a million onboard passengers in May, a record for the month, Hawaiian Airlines revised its guidance for second-quarter revenue downward, citing “a reduction in the pace of domestic bookings following an increase in volcanic activity on the Big Island of Hawaii.”

Lava flows, volcanic explosions and earthquakes continue to plague the region surrounding Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano since fissures and lava first appeared following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake May 4.

With its reported—but unspecified—decline in domestic bookings, Hawaiian revised its 2Q 2018 operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) guidance downward, to between a 0.5% drop to a 1.5% gain. In its previous 2Q guidance, Hawaiian forecast 2Q RASM to be between flat and up 3%, compared to 2Q 2017. Hawaiian’s 2Q 2017 RASM was 14.26 cents.

Hawaiian also revised its 2Q operating cost per available seat mile (CASM) excluding fuel and special items upward, to between a 5% and 7% rise, compared to its earlier 4%-7% guidance. Hawaiian said the revision in its adjusted CASM expectations was associated primarily with two specific items—an unscheduled maintenance event for one of its Airbus A330-200s, and a one-time expense pertaining to an interim agreement with Hawaiian’s flight attendants labor group related to the company’s intent to purchase 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Inclusion of the new aircraft into Hawaiian’s labor contracts with its pilots and flight attendants is required prior to final approval of the purchase by Hawaiian’s board of directors. Hawaiian signed a letter of intent to purchase the 787-9s March 6.

Additionally, Hawaiian raised its guidance for gallons of jet fuel to be consumed in 2Q 2018 to rise between 6% and 7% year-over-year (YOY), changed from its prior 5% to 7% increase projection. Hawaiian updated its 2Q economic fuel cost per gallon projection as well, to between $2.05 to $2.10, up a nickel on its lower end from Hawaiian’s earlier projection, and based on the fuel forward curve as of June 8, the company said. Subsequently, Hawaiian also revised its full-year 2018 economic fuel cost per gallon, from $1.97 to $2.07 in its original full-year 2018 guidance to $2.05 to $2.15.

Hawaiian is estimating its adjusted CASM (ex-fuel and special items) for the second quarter will come to between 9.44¢ and 9.62¢. The company expects its 2Q capacity will be between 4.97 billion and 5.07 billion ASMs.

In May, Hawaiian’s total system traffic rose 5.6% YOY to 1.4 billion RPMs as capacity grew 6.5% to 1.7 billion ASMs, resulting in an 85.9% load factor for the month, down 0.8 point YOY. </s> A United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after its engine failed en route to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Boeing 777 aircraft was flying to the Pacific island from the San Francisco International Airport in California when the incident happened. Dramatic footage captured by passenger Erik Haddad shows parts of the engine exposed while the plane continues flying over the ocean.

"United flight 1175 traveling to Honolulu from San Francisco called for an emergency landing due to a mechanical issue. The flight landed safely and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate," the airline said in a statement to KTIV Island News.

The Hawaii Department of Transport (HDT) tweeted that emergency services personnel had been standing by as a precaution after the flight reported a mechanical issue. “The plane is in the hangar. There is no impact on airport operations or runways,” the HDT said.

Another passenger, Maria Falaschi, posted pictures to Twitter, summing up her fears with the caption: “Scariest flight of my life.” </s> Emergency crews are on standby to evacuate more people as the number of volcanic fissures - cracks in the earth through which lava and toxic gases escape - grew to 12. Hawaii Civic Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno told a community meeting on Tuesday: "If things get dicey, you've got to get out. ”If you live in the surrounding communities ... be prepared. Evacuation could come at any time." Some 35 structures have been destroyed so far since the volcanic eruption, with the majority of fissures appearing in Leilani Estates, situated 12 miles east of the volcano.

Around 1,700 people living in Leilani Estates on Big Island have already been evacuated along with people living in nearby area Lanipuna Gardens. The maps below show the areas affected - but there are fears that this evacuation zone will expand as the number of fissures spread. Resident Heide Austin said she left her home just west of the current eruption zone after noticing small cracks appearing at the end of her driveway. The 77-year-old said one eruption near her home "sounded like a huge blowtorch going off”.

Some residents were allowed to return home temporarily on Sunday and Monday to rescue pets and retrieve personal belongings following a lull in seismic activity. But Lunipuna Gardens residents were barred by Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency officials due to the prevalence of “dangerous volcanic gases”. Is it safe to travel to Hawaii? The Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated their travel warning for the area today.

It states: “There has been volcanic eruption on Hawaii’s Big Island and some local residents have been evacuated. “British nationals in the area should monitor local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders. “To learn more about what to do before, during and after a volcano, visit the Federal Emergency Management website.” Some flight operators, including Virgin and British Airways, are continuing to fly tourists to the islands as many of the popular tourist spots on other Hawaiian islands remain unaffected.

Hawaii Tourist Authority released a statement on May 4 in which assured travellers that it was still safe to travel to the country. It said “the impact is limited to a remote region on the east side far away from the rest of the Hawaiian Islands”. Further down in the statement, the authority’s president and CEO George D. Szigeti added: “No flights into airports anywhere in Hawaii are being impacted by Kilauea volcano and the area where the lava is coming to the surface is very far from resorts areas throughout the Hawaiian Islands where visitor accommodations are located. “Travelers can enjoy their vacation experience in the Hawaiian Islands to the fullest, with the only the word of caution that they stay out of areas closed to the public for their own safety.” </s> As Hawaii braces for the impact of Hurricane Lane, island residents can at least feel comforted they won’t be hit by a double-whammy of natural phenomena.

The Kilauea Volcano in the Big Island has settled down in the last two weeks, and it doesn’t figure to interact much with the approaching storm.

The U.S. Geological Service said in its Wednesday update that “Hurricane Lane is forecast to pass to the west of the (Big Island) and should not have a significant effect on the eruption aside from minor rockfalls at the summit and increased’’ steaming.

That’s good news for the thousands of Hawaiians who were affected in numerous ways by the volcanic eruptions that began on May 3. An estimated 700 homes were destroyed by lava as Kilauea shook with multiple eruptions over several weeks, with a 5.3-magnitude earthquake during one of the bursts further unnerving the locals.

In addition, toxic gas and volcanic smog, or “vog,’’ plagued residents and visitors from islands near and far for weeks. And in mid-July, 23 passengers were injured when a “lava bomb’’ crashed through the roof of a tourist boat off the Big Island.

No one-two punch from Mother Nature is expected to slug the Aloha State this time even if Hurricane Lane makes landfall, which appears unlikely.

Projections call for the storm, which strengthened to Category 5 early Wednesday morning, to dwindle into a Category 2 by the time it gets closest to the islands late Thursday and early Friday.

Volcanoes are notoriously unpredictable, but experts say they don’t get activated by changes in the air pressure from an incoming storm, as has been speculated.

“The forces that drive eruptions aren’t usually at the surface. Eruptions are driven by forces much deeper, whether or not magma is actually moving toward the surface,’’ said Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. “So because those are quite deep, it’s unlikely they’re going to be affected by something above the surface like air pressure.’’

On the other hand, an active volcano could have an impact on a major storm, exacerbating it to a certain extent. That was the case when Tropical Cyclone Flossie slammed into Hawaii in 2013, as particles spewed out by Kilauea contributed to intensify a lightning storm.

More: At least 23 injured as 'lava bomb' hits tour boat near Hawaii's Kilauea volcano

“The physics does allow for more smaller droplets to form and get blown higher in the storm, which promotes lightning as it gets above the freezing level, rather than raining out,’’ said Steven Businger, a professor and chair of the atmospheric sciences department at the University of Hawaii.

The most impactful interaction of volcano and major storm on record came with the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. The second largest volcanic explosion of the 20th century coincided with the arrival of Typhoon Yunya, and they combined to bring down a blanket of volcanic ash with heavy rains, killing an estimated 250-300 people.

Krippner said that, in addition to the ash, Pinatubo produced lots of pyroclastic deposits – made of a hot gases and volcanic matter – which led to flooding, but she calls Kilauea’s outburst “such a different case.’’

Nevertheless, major flooding is likely with the amount of rain predicted to get unleashed by Hurricane Lane. Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu said that’s the biggest concern with the approaching storm, unless it changes course and veers closer to land.

“Regardless of the track of the hurricane, there’s a lot of moisture in the air, so we’re expecting a lot of rain for the islands,’’ Chevalier said. “We’re talking many inches, with forecasts of as much as 20 inches-plus in some areas. We’re talking feet of rain instead of inches.’’

But at least no volcanic eruptions. </s> HONOLULU (CBSLA/CBS News/AP) — Lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano destroyed “hundreds” of homes overnight, including a house belonging to the Big Island’s mayor, according to a Hawaii County spokeswoman.

Janet Snyder said Tuesday that hundreds of homes were lost Monday night in Kapoho Beach Lots and Vacationland. CBS News correspondent Carter Evans reported Tuesday morning that approximately 150 homes have been lost since the eruption began.

Snyder said it was difficult to count homes in that area from the air because of steam produced from lava entering the ocean.

Lava destroyed Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim’s second home in Vacationland. County Managing Director Wil Okabe says his vacation home in Kapoho Beach Lots is also threatened.

Most area residents have already evacuated. Thousands in the Puna district left after lava fissures started opening in neighborhoods a month ago.

Evans reports the cascade into Kapoho Bay is releasing toxic steam mixed with tiny particles of glass. It’s the second time lava has hit the ocean since the crisis began.

Scientists said a laze plume was blowing inland from the ocean entry but dissipating quickly. Laze is formed when hot lava hits the ocean, reacts with sea water and sends hydrochloric acid and steam with fine glass particles in the air.

Officials warned the public to stay away from the plume because it can irritate skin and eyes and make it difficult to breathe. </s> An eruption from the Kilauea volcano’s summit shot ash and smoke into the air early Thursday on Hawaii’s Big Island, and the resulting plume is expected to cover the surrounding area, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The volcanic cloud reached 30,000 feet, the US Geological Survey said. That’s a little below the cruising altitude of a jetliner.

“At any time, activity may again become more explosive, increasing the intensity of ash production and producing ballistic projectiles near the vent,” the USGS said. “Ballistic projectiles may be produced should steam-driven explosions occur. Impacts will be limited to an area around Halemaumau.”

Halemaumau is the crater within Kilauea’s summit caldera.

Nearby residents are being asked to shelter in place if they are in the path of the ash plume, which the wind is carrying to the northeast of the volcano, the USGS said.

“Driving conditions may be dangerous so if you are driving pull off the road and wait until visibility improves,” an alert from the observatory warned.

Thursday’s eruption is just the latest volcanic activity contributing to the nightmare on the Big Island since the volcano first went off May 3.

An ash plume Wednesday rose roughly 12,000 feet into the air, and on Tuesday, the USGS issued a red alert, which means a major eruption is imminent or underway and ash could affect air traffic.

It is not clear if Thursday’s was a phreatic eruption, which USGS officials have been saying is capable of sending ash plumes as far as 12 miles away from the summit.

The lava lake in the crater has been dropping since May 2, which increases the chances for a phreatic explosion, but it will be difficult to warn residents.

Phreatic eruptions are “notoriously hard to forecast, and can occur with little or no warning,” Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Janet Babb said.

Recent explosions have been steam-driven, occurring when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks or new volcanic deposits, the USGS says.

While the ash being launched into the sky is not poisonous, Hawaii County officials have warned residents about toxic sulfur dioxide seeping out of 21 fissures caused by the volcano.

“Severe conditions may exist such as choking and inability to breathe,” the county’s Civil Defense Agency said Wednesday. “This is a serious situation that affects the entire exposed population.” </s> Passengers on a flight from Chicago to Hong Kong had a crappy time when their flight was diverted to Anchorage after a passenger “smeared feces everywhere,” KTVA is reporting.

United Airlines flight 895 from Chicago to Hong Kong had to be redirected to Anchorage Thursday, Ted Stevens International Airport Police told KTVA.

The man smeared the excrement inside more than one bathroom, took off his shirt and attempted to stuff it in the toilet, KTVA reports. He was cooperative when the flight landed in Anchorage.

The man was taken to Providence Hospital for a psych evaluation, and no charges were filed, KTVA reports.
Hawaiian Airlines warns that the eruption of Kīlauea may hurt bookings and trim revenues.