Hawaii's international airspace shrinks to its shoreline

The US is proposing to change how it manages air traffic over Hawaii. It will add new controlled airspace above the islands, but remove existing controlled airspace that extended more than 12 miles offshore into international waters.

For decades, the US has managed air traffic far beyond its territorial limits around Hawaii, a legacy of post-World War II agreements. This change brings the controlled airspace back to the internationally recognized 12-mile limit. It means other countries' aircraft will have more freedom of movement in the previously US-controlled international zone.