Airlines Send Empty Planes to Hawaii, Add Flights to Evacuate Thousands of Tourists Amid Wildfires

Airlines are stepping in to help evacuate thousands of tourists trapped by the ongoing wildfires in Hawaii.

Vacationers were being bussed to the island’s main airport in Kahului as of Thursday morning, according to the County of Maui, but the influx of unplanned flyers has made it difficult for many to get home.

In response to the dire situation, United Airlines is sending empty planes to the island so that they can help expedite the evacuation of visitors, they said on Thursday in a statement to PEOPLE.

“We’ve canceled today’s inbound flights to Kahului Airport so our planes can fly empty to Maui and be used as passenger flights back to the mainland,” the airline said.

American Airlines tells PEOPLE it is operating scheduled inbound and outbound flights as planned but has added an additional outbound flight (Kahului to Phoenix), and sized up the plane for another in order to help get more passengers out quickly.

Delta will also continue operations out of Kahului, and tells PEOPLE, it is "sending supplies to aid our employees and customers on the ground while evaluating how we can best further these efforts."

More than 11,000 people were able to fly out of Maui on Wednesday, Time Magazine reports, with many more departing Thursday.  

American, United, Delta and Hawaiian Airlines, among others, have all reportedly dropped various fees associated with cancellations and rebooking due to the extenuating circumstances.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority issued a statement on Wednesday that, "While Kahului Airport on Maui remains open at this time, residents and visitors with travel bookings are encouraged to check with their airline for any flight changes or cancellations, or for assistance with rebooking."

The organization is also urging vacationers currently in Maui to leave and anyone planning non-essential travel to the area in the near future not to come.

 "In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses," HTA said on Wednesday. "Visitors who have travel plans to West Maui in the coming weeks are encouraged to consider rescheduling their travel plans for a later time."

As of midday Thursday, the Maui wildfires had claimed the lives of at least 36 people, as three separate fires across the Hawaiian island continue to burn uncontrolled.

In an update at 10:30 p.m. HST on Wednesday, the Maui Fire Department reported no significant changes to the three fires — located in Lahaina, Upcountry and the Pūlehu/Kīhei areas, and said that there “are no containment numbers at this time." The fire department has been dealing with multiple flare-ups.