KHON-TV Channel 2 Saturday, October 22, 2005

Argument over Maui airport security ends in brawl

Tensions between Maui airport security and a small but vocal airline escalated into a brawl last Thursday in the airport executive conference room. What started with a question of security procedures ended with injuries to several people on both sides of a long-brewing dispute.

Security is tight at Kahului Airport -- since Sept. 11, but even more so after an S.U.V. slammed into the building last year.

This Thursday, agents with the private security company Wackenhut questioned the clearance of a Pacific Wings employee in the Airport Operations Area -- or AOA.

"At Kahului you can be on the AOA area with the commercial pilots license, in this particular instance our employee had both a commercial pilots license and a temporary AOA badge," said Greg Kahlstorf, president of Pacific Wings.

At a meeting moderated by the airport manager that day, both sides exchanged harsh words -- and then words led to blows.

"Uniformed people with guns burst in, threw us to the ground and began assaulting my employees and separated us and put us in handcuffs and to interrogation rooms and denied medical treatment or access to legal counsel," Kahlstorf said.

Two from Pacific Wings filed a police report alleging assault by a Wackenhut officer. They also posted bail after themselves being arrested for harassment and resisting arrest. Several sources say guards from Wackenhut were injured, too.

Pacific Wings has been a vocal critic of the Department of Transportation, even running ads alleging airport mismanagement.

"That hasn't made us popular -- it's obviously upset some people," Kahlstorf said.

The TSA says it is investigating the security clearance issue. Pacific Wings says it'll pursue all available recourse.