KAILUA, Kona, Hawaii — The recession is pinching some of those who fly private jets to West Hawaii, but many of the wealthy are still coming for the golf and sun.

Last month, 138 exclusive personal planes landed at Kona International Airport on the Big Island — down 18 percent from December 2007.

Chauncey Wong Yuen, the Hawaii District manager for the state Department of Transportation's airports division, said there were 51 private planes on the Kona airport apron as of Monday.

The airport can accommodate up to 61 private planes at a time. Parking and landing fees are calculated based on plane size.

The annual private jet pilgrimage to Kona usually begins in November and lasts until New Year's.

The passengers stay on the Big Island for an average of two to five days.

Once the jets are parked, the state doesn't provide any frills or further service.

The planes generally turn to private companies for ground operation assistance, from parking to takeoff.

There are currently two main fixed-base operators at Kona — Air Service Hawaii and Bradley Pacific Aviation.

Both provide VIP treatment, including lei greetings, tropical drinks, gourmet catering, red carpets, limousine service, as well as discreet arrivals and departures.

Air Service Hawaii's Web site boasts its "clients include heads-of-state, celebrities and corporate executives who expect nothing less than premier-quality amenities and services." The companies also handle fuel operation for private planes and commercial airlines.

It's difficult to tell just from public records who is using the planes.

The aircraft are often listed as being owned by travel service companies like NetJets and Jet Direct.

Several were registered to holding companies and trusts like Wells Fargo Bank, SIRIUS Inc. and Nokia Inc. Two jets were registered to individuals who were not well-known public figures.