Thank you for your November 24, 2004 response to our Uniform Information Practices Act request submitted October 12, 2004 (attached).
Your response indicates that Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division employee Roy Sakata has been the recipient of complimentary air travel from at least one airline customer of the Division during the past two years.
Mr. Sakata is in a position to directly affect the interests of airline customers doing business with the Division through his official actions as the Airports Operations Officer. He also appears as a signatory on certain official documents, including federal grant assurance materials related to airline competition in Hawaii.
Mr. Sakata is also a central figure in a series of highly publicized events and controversial decisions involving changes at the Kahului Airport Commuter Terminal for the sole and specific benefit of Island Air and it’s codeshare partners, including Aloha Airlines.
It appears that Mr. Sakata’s complimentary air travel arrangements have never been disclosed or documented until PROP specifically inquired about them. Moreover, it seems the Department has no effective disclosure policy in place to identify and document these potential conflicts of interest.
Your response acknowledges that Mr. Sakata has received two free trans-Pacific flights from Aloha Airlines during the past two years, but fails to adequately address the nature and scope of this relationship, specifically:
- Has Mr. Sakata accepted free travel from Aloha Airlines within the state of Hawaii? If so, how many interisland trips has he received during the past two years?
- Is Mr. Sakata also eligible for free or reduced-rate transportation on Aloha’s former subsidiary (and current codeshare partner) Island Air? If so, how many interisland trips has he received during the past two years?
- Is Mr. Sakata the sole recipient of free air travel from Division customers, or do his spouse, parents, children or other family members also receive complimentary travel from Aloha, Island Air or other air carriers by virtue of their relationships with him?
- If Mr. Sakata’s spouse, children or other relatives are entitled to free air transportation, what is the total number of interisland and/or trans-pacific flights have they collectively received from Aloha, Island Air or other air carriers during the past two years?
It is also unclear from your response whether other Division employees with similar discretionary powers have arrangements comparable to Mr. Sakata’s with these or other airline customers of the Department.
Pursuant to the Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified), Chapter 92F, Hawaii Revised Statutes (“UIPA”), the Part 135 Regulated Operator’s Partnership of Hawaii (PROP) hereby requests access to certain government documents believed to be in the custody of your agency including, but not limited to:
- Any and all statements, declarations, disclosures, letters, memoranda, emails or any other type of documentation or communication of any kind pertaining to (any) free or reduced rate travel benefits or privileges extended to any Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division Director, Officer, Manager, Administrator, department head or unit chief by any airline company, airline, or current or former airline subsidiary doing business with the Department;
or,
- A list of Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division Directors, Officers, Managers, Administrators, department heads or unit chiefs currently eligible free or reduced-rate transportation from Division customers.
This request encompasses any and all pertinent materials maintained by the department in written or electronic form. These materials are being requested in order to raise media, legislative and regulatory consciousness regarding matters of public interest involving the administration and management of Hawaii’s publicly financed airports. It is our belief that release of these records will serve the public interest, and we request that all fees for searching, reviewing, or segregating disclosable records be waived, pursuant to H.R.S. §92F-42.
If you anticipate that it will take the department longer than 10 business days to process this request, we ask that you provide us with a written estimate of when these materials will be available for our review. |
