Here's how the Maui wildfires are affecting flights between Phoenix and Hawaii

As wildfires destroy communities on the Hawaiian island of Maui, residents and visitors are escaping to safety.

Major airlines that serve Hawaii, including three with flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, are adding flights to evacuate passengers and supply emergency efforts as firefighters race to contain the blazes that killed 36 people as of Thursday afternoon.

Kahului Airport, Maui's main airport, remains open for people flying in and out of the island, the Hawaii Department of Transportation stated on X, formerly Twitter.

Hawaii's acting governor, the transportation department and several airlines urged travelers to reconsider non-essential travel to Maui.

If you're in Maui now and looking to fly back, or you have a flight to Maui in the coming weeks, here's what you need to know.

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What airlines fly from Phoenix to Maui?

Three airlines fly nonstop between Phoenix and Maui Kahului Airport: American, Southwest and Hawaiian.

American and Southwest offer once-daily flights. Availability in the coming days is extremely limited.

Hawaiian Airlines introduced seasonal nonstop service between Phoenix and Maui in 2021, operating four times weekly from May to August. As of Thursday, Hawaiian had no Phoenix-Maui flights available within the next two weeks.

What to know about American Airlines' Maui-Phoenix flights

In a statement, American Airlines spokesman Derek Walls said the carrier is monitoring the wildfires and supporting evacuation efforts by increasing flights out of Maui. American is also using bigger planes to provide more seats.

People with flights scheduled through Aug. 13 can reschedule without change fees or cancel their trip and receive a refund, Walls said.

American's travel advisory states that people with reservations through Aug. 13 can rebook without fees for travel from Aug. 9-18 as long as they don't change the origin or destination city and rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference. Changes must be booked by Aug. 13.

What to know about Southwest Airlines' Maui-Phoenix flights

Southwest Airlines operates more than 90 daily flights in Hawaii and is adding capacity in response to the wildfires, spokesperson Alyssa Foster said.

Having more flights will provide more space for supplies and offer additional seats for passengers leaving Maui to escape the wildfires or going there to help, she said.

"We’ve added service, yesterday, today, tomorrow … mainland (including Phoenix) and among the islands," Foster said.

People with flights scheduled through Aug. 14 can rebook within 14 days of their original travel date without change fees.

Affected passengers can also change their departure or arrival to Southwest's other Hawaii destinations: Honolulu on Oahu, Lihue on Kauai and Hilo and Kona on Hawaii's Big Island. Southwest passengers can fly nonstop to Honolulu, Kona and Lihue via Sky Harbor.

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What to know about Hawaiian Airlines' Maui-Phoenix flights

Hawaiian Airlines is adding flights between Maui and Honolulu to evacuate people and support emergency response efforts, airline spokesperson Tara Shimooka said.

The airline added nine flights on Wednesday, Aug. 9, and six flights on Thursday, Aug. 10.

While the seasonal Maui-Phoenix nonstop is currently not flying, Hawaiian Airlines does offer year-round nonstop service between Honolulu and Phoenix. (So do American and Southwest.)

Hawaiian's travel advisory covers a longer period than American and Southwest's, offering passengers the ability to change flights at no additional cost for travel scheduled through Aug. 31. Passengers must rebook with their original city pairs and cabin.

Passengers can also cancel their flights and receive a flight credit good for one year from the original date of purchase, or request a refund for the trip. Refund requests must be made to Hawaiian's reservations department by Sept. 1; the department can be reached at 800-367-5320.

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Should you fly to Maui right now? What to know about the wildfires