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The Wiki Wiki Shuttle is a fare-free shuttle bus system at the Honolulu International Airport. Shuttles run between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM local time, carrying people and baggage between the various terminals.
In the Hawaiian language the word "wiki" means quick, and "wiki wiki" implies very quick. The shuttle's name inspired Ward Cunningham to call his new website "WikiWikiWeb". Cunningham's site was designed to allow visitors to the site to edit its content, and this type of website came to be known as a "wiki," a prominent example of which is Wikipedia.
Reduction of operations
The airport is moving away from dependence on the Wiki Wiki buses, which were put in place in 1970 as "an interim measure". After more than three decades of operations, travelers still complain about the hot, slow, outdated buses. As was reported to the press, not only are the buses somewhat inconvenient and uncomfortable, they also put a huge strain on the building structure due to their weight and level of activity.
In November 2004, local media reported that the shuttle would be replaced by an air-conditioned walkway. The first phase of that change was completed in October 2005, giving international travelers the option of an air-conditioned hallway with a moving sidewalk instead of the open-air buses.
The buses were formerly run by the Aircraft Services International Group. In April 2009, the airport signed a new contract for the shuttle buses to be managed by Roberts Hawaii, and the signage on the shuttles was changed from "WikiWiki shuttle" to "HNL shuttle".
In 2013 the buses were still or again in active service in Honolulu airport, but their usage will be reduced for international arrivals thanks to the walkway that has been in use since the end of 2010.
As of 2013 the shuttle is still being used. New buses have been added, and they are once more labelled "Wiki Wiki".