After years of delays and traveler frustrations, Hawaii is finally modernizing its visitor arrival process. The state has announced the launch of the Akamai Arrival pilot program, which will go live on March 1, 2025, and end on May 31, 2025, on select flights to Hawaii.
This could mark the end of the paper-based, required Plants and Animals Declaration Form, a relic that has been part of Hawaii flights for decades.
For some, this may be seen as the end of an era. As the world has gone digital, this is one of the last remnants of travel forms to complete with pen or pencil, bubbles to fill in, and the sudden rush of trying to find a fellow passenger who will loan a writing instrument. It used to be the airlines had pencils to loan, which disappeared with other service items, leaving everyone to fend on their own. But it was a tradition that we have endured or looked forward to on our flights for years.
The shift to digital aims to streamline arrivals and improve compliance with Hawaii’s strict biosecurity laws. According to state officials, the compliance rate on the paper form was 60%. We are unsure how they measured that since one form covered an entire family traveling together.
While many welcome the move as overdue, others question whether the digital system will make things easier or just add another layer of inconvenience.
The long-overdue shift to digital arrivals.
Miraculously, when credit card applications came out, writing instruments seemed to appear from thin air from flight attendants, but not so with the agriculture form. The form aimed to protect Hawaii from invasive species, but in practice, it often felt like busywork.
Beyond the logistical headaches, the system’s effectiveness was widely questioned. Many travelers noted that it wasn’t clear how the information was used. As Drew808 put it, “By the time the paper forms were scanned and read, visitors were already long gone.”
What changes with the Akamai Arrival program?
Instead of scribbling in ink on paper forms mid-flight, travelers on select flights will now submit their declarations digitally before landing or before the flight. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is working with major airlines—including Alaska/Hawaiian, American, Delta, Southwest, and United—to integrate the new system. Some airlines, like Southwest and Hawaiian, will send out a reminder email 24 hours before a flight if the the digital form is being used.
Passengers can complete their forms through the online portal, eliminating the need for last-minute paperwork and ensuring that data is processed before arrival. State officials believe this will improve efficiency, increase compliance, and strengthen Hawaii’s fragile ecosystem protections.
Hawaii has long struggled with invasive species, from fire ants to coqui frogs and snakes, which have damaged native habitats and frustrated residents. Officials hope more accurate and timely data collection will help mitigate future risks. However, critics point out that digital submissions alone won’t prevent pests from making their way to the islands.
Some worry about accessibility for travelers who are not tech-savvy or who may not have access to a smartphone while traveling. According to state officials, if your flight is part of the test project, it will be 100 percent digital, and no paper forms will be used.
Will this improve or complicate arrivals?
The move to digital has been praised as a necessary step forward, but concerns remain about how well it will work in practice.
Don K questioned the timing of digital submissions. “What stops someone from purchasing prohibited plants or fruits after submitting the form? How would enforcement even work?”
The state has not yet addressed this concern, leaving open questions about whether new enforcement measures will back digital declarations or if existing biosecurity programs, such as agricultural sniffer dogs at baggage claim, will remain the primary line of defense. However, in our experience, canines are rarely seen other than on international flight arrivals.
It’s also unclear whether staff will readily assist travelers struggling with the digital process. Linda B voiced frustration, saying, “Every year, something new gets added to the rules. Between this and everything else, Hawaii is making it harder and harder for visitors to feel welcome.”
State officials insist that the new system will make arrivals easier, not harder. Whether travelers will agree remains to be seen.
A test run before full implementation.
This trial phase will measure the system’s effectiveness and identify any pain points before a full-scale rollout.
For years, efforts to digitize Hawaii’s visitor declaration process stalled due to bureaucratic inertia. As technology advanced across the travel industry, Hawaii’s system remained stuck in the past.
Senator Glenn Wakai admitted that change only came after lawmakers passed legislation in 2024 forcing the Department of Agriculture to move away from paper. “It never made sense that we were stuck in this old way of doing things,” he said.
However, not everyone believes legislation should have been required. Commenter Peter questioned why such a common-sense update took so long to materialize. “Why did we need to pass a law for this? It seems like something that should have been easily updated years ago.”
The bottom line for travelers.
For most visitors, the Akamai Arrival program will mean one less thing to juggle during a Hawaii flight physically but one more thing to complete digitally. The state hopes this shift will simplify the travel experience while providing better protection against invasive species. However, whether or not it delivers on that promise will depend on how well the system is executed.
To see if your flight is part of the pilot program, you can find a list here: https://akamaiarrival.hawaii.gov/pilot/
With the pilot set to launch next month, airlines, state officials, and travelers alike will be watching closely. Whether Akamai Arrival proves to be a seamless upgrade or just a digital version of the same old frustrations, one thing is sure—Hawaii’s outdated paper forms may, at long last, be on their way out.
Do you favor digital arrival forms, or will you miss paper?
Lead Photo: Beat of Hawaii at HNL.
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More evidence of a competency deficit in Hawaii. The primary vector for invasive species isn’t a pet lizard in someone’s carry-on. It’s a larval infestation in imported lumber or any number of stowaways on cargo ships.
While a move to digital is simply dragging Hawaii kicking and screaming into the 21st century in terms of process, compliance is going to be problematic. Travel to Australia or New Zealand is not analogous. You’re crossing an international border, and they have a right to deny you entry. No such enforcement mechanism exists for domestic travel between the Mainland USA and Hawaii.
Instead of forms, I would like to see enforcement with more dogs or searches. I feel it’s too easy to “sneak” something into Hawaii. We need to protect our resources better with a more active approach.
All this is about the Hawaii no longer relies on tourism pact. They want to become an enclave for the super rich and wealthy Turing the locals into the private workforce of the rich n famous. That’s the Real Plan for Hawaii’s future. They will cover costs from “the big O” n “zuck” through property taxes and the wealthy not requiring any government programs. The government n people of Hawaii will live to searve the elite. That’s the Real Plan 4 Hawaii. Yes they will have tourism but only those truly weathly will be able to afford it No Budget Offerings Will Be Made. The new Aloha will b “If you can’t pay just go away”
The paper form was ridiculous to begin with. No one insured that everyone filled out the form while they were collecting it. I also resented the marketing information on the back that fooled people into thinking you had to fill that as well.
Also the digital is the easiest way they can just pop that up while you’re checking in online and make sure that it’s done this way they can ensure 100% compliance.
As for people bringing invasive species if they sign the form stating they didn’t and they were caught they could be severe fines for them that alone will be a deterrent.
I don’t think this is an inconvenience considering we still have to answer questions for the airlines regarding explosives and batteries etc when we check in.
Out with the antiquated paper agricultural forms and in with the new digital technology approach. Sounds great and a much needed upgrade…. .but will it happen. I have my doubts. Anytime the government, be state or federal, decide they’re going to go digital, it’s usually a total disaster!
Remember the Obama care website roll out years ago? It was a total joke. Those of us who had to deal with the Hawaii COVID travel website/digital process, same thing, clunky, frustrating, and not user friendly in the least. Why do I feel that the incompetent one party state of Hawaii bureaucracy will not get this one right?
When it comes to tourism messaging and management, Hawaii’s government is totally out to lunch and decades behind other states and international tourist destinations.
Because nothing to do with one party State why do you have to make this about politics.. do you think the other party is any good at building websites?
It’s just that the state contracting process ends up getting the cheapest bids and not necessarily those with the most experience. This is true with many government sites. If you look at some of the tourist sites run by the government in Thailand you would say that Hawaii websites are much better.
I always carry a couple extra pens to loan to seatmates. Often they’re first time visitors who have no idea about that little bit of “Fun” at the end of the flight…
I predict an episode of “Monty Python” upcoming as they try to institute this…
Wait a minute … I want Hawaii’s ecosystem protected, but how effective are these forms – paper or digital – at stopping biological intrusions the Hawaiian citizens and visitors want to prevent? How many people have been convicted of the threatened “Class C” felonies and paid up to $25,000 in fines for actions that result in real threats? What is the penalty for not filling out a form because my phone battery is dead — do I have to stay on the plane? I suspect this is just another “performance art” legal approach that threatens a lot of visitors, but is not very effective. Please, someone prove to me this is not a waste of time and money.
All they had to do is require the form before anyone could board the plane, cause you know how everyone is eager to get in line.
But then it would be a fight over gate agents vs FAs over 💵 on who handles it.
I had to laugh a little about the comment on having to legislate to get things done, since that pretty much sums up getting anything done in Hawai’i. We’re steeped in tradition, which includes being stubborn, so not surprising.
However, I do find it ironic they can whip up the website during covid, but continue paper (pens optional unless you’re signing up for the CC, per your mention) for the ag form.
Bigger question aligned with Ag in general is – why do we care what fruits/vegatbales, etc we take from Hawai’i outbound to the mainland? Always thought those scanners served no purpose since we’re actually worried about what is coming in. And, that’s where the ports are the problem that leak like a sieve. Least of our worries is airline cargo…imho
Will the form contain the question – will this be your last trip to Hawaii?
or – how many more trips to Hawaii do you anticipate in the next 5 years?
I remember the portal for Covid, and it was a nightmare. I hope they do a better job with this one. Won’t miss the paper form. Hope the digital program works.