Christine Hitt
Since 1973, Hawaii has required arriving travelers to fill out paper versions of its agricultural declaration forms, a requirement put in place to protect the Islands' unique biodiversity from foreign plants and animals. But the process has undergone a gradual change over the past year.
Visitors traveling to Hawaii domestically can now fill out the form digitally at akamaiarrival.hawaii.gov, either on the plane or up to five days prior to flying.
"After decades of digging through your bag or borrowing a pen from the person next to you [on your flight], we finally have a simpler, more efficient solution that supports our state's biosecurity efforts and protects Hawai'i's natural environment," Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said at a recent press conference announcing that the digital forms have now been adopted by all U.S. airlines.
Airport apps debut
In other news, the Hawaii Department of Transportation launched airport apps for Inouye Airport in Honolulu, Kauai's Lihue Airport and the Big Island of Hawaii's Kona Airport, which can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple store.
The apps feature a map of the airport, identifies the user's location in the airport and shows where ticket counters, bathrooms, agricultural inspection stations, ATMs and shops can be found. It also enables users to create a route map from one location to another. General airport information, current arrival and departure times, and the agricultural inspection form are also accessible through the app.
Apps for the Big Island's Hilo Airport and Maui's airport are expected to launch in the coming months.