Almost every facet of what makes up our way of life in Hawai'i is dependent on the air service that links the Islands to one another and the Islands as a whole to the outside world.

Tourism is the most important source of income for Hawai'i's residents, directly accounting for an astonishing one out of every six jobs. Moreover, the indirect contribution of this industry to our state's economy goes far beyond even these large numbers.

At the same time, lacking roads to link the islands of Hawai'i, air service is our state's highway system. The sheer importance of air transportation to our state means that helping airlines provide more efficient air service is an investment that will provide more "bang for the buck" than other alternatives.

Nonetheless, decades of under-investment leaves our airport infrastructure sadly behind the times. We no longer have airport facilities that we need for Hawai'i to remain a competitive destination for tourism and for our citizens to enjoy efficient air travel.

The reasons for this are longstanding and complex and do not lie at the feet of those who manage our airports today. They are also irrelevant to rectifying the problem.

The good news is that we have a plan and the opportunity to put all of this behind us. This is why we have joined with the state in enthusiastically endorsing the $2.3 billion State-wide Airport Modernization Program.

In the near term, the plan will quickly lead to construction jobs in the community at a time when unemployment is on the rise. This truly is stimulus of the sort needed to help lift us out of the current recession.

Looking further ahead, the plan will yield facilities that will improve the Hawai'i travel experience and enable airlines such as Hawaiian to become more efficient. This is critical at a time when Hawaiian alone has committed $5 billion (the largest single private sector investment in our state's history) in new aircraft to serve the needs of the market over the course of the next 20 years.

Honolulu in particular may regain some of the substantial ground it has lost over the past several decades as a connecting point for domestic and international travelers. To those who use the state's airports frequently, simply making them more attractive will be a significant and welcome development.

Perhaps the best news is that no state general funds are required. Instead, the Airport Modernization Program will be paid for by a mixture of federal funds and fees and charges levied to the airports' users. For example, Hawaiian's fees for operating at Honolulu have more than doubled in the past year — an increase we are willing to absorb for the prospect of better facilities and for a voice in how the facilities are to be developed.

The combination of short-term stimulus, long-term improvements to the most important economic activity in the state and no impact on the state's general fund, we believe, should make the Airport Modernization Program a top priority for all.

Mark Dunkerley is president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines and chairman of the board for the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.

Reach Mark Dunkerley at (Unknown address).