With the holidays approaching, many people are preparing to travel. But whether you’re going interisland, to the Mainland or further abroad, air travel comes with the requisite security checks, with Transportation Security Administration workers checking your carry-ons.
Anyone who flies knows there’s a lengthy list of what you can and can’t bring with you. (Antlers and toy light sabers, sure, but think again about your knives, billy clubs or more than 3.4 ounces of liquid. Check the full list of what you can bring here).
But what happens to the items you might have to ditch while going through airport security, the contraband you’re not allowed to carry on with you after all?
It goes to auction.
In Hawai‘i, the Surplus Property Office — part of the state Procurement Office, which itself is administratively attached to the state Department of Accounting and General Services — collects boxes of surrendered items from the Daniel K. Inouye Airport in Honolulu every month and from Neighbor Island airports each quarter.
According to DAGS, the items are called “voluntarily abandoned property,” or VAP and become government property.
Workers sort items into categories, research the value and the wares are listed for a weekly public auction. Find the auction here.
DAGS, which notes that there are federal rules that govern how to manage VAP, says knives are the most commonly surrendered item — and the most-purchased auction item.
Indeed, there currently are several lots of pocketknives, utility knives and multi-tools from well-known brands like Smith & Wesson, Opinel, Kershaw, Gerber and more, as well as home décor and other items.
DAGS spokesperson Diane Ako told Aloha State Daily in an email that approximately 1,000 items are collected each month from the Honolulu airport and 1,000 are collected quarterly from the state’s other airports.
Some of the more surprising auctions that have made their way to auction include an imitation Rolex watch, diving gear, home decorations, power tools and blenders, she noted.
The Surplus Property Office is self-funded and money from the auction — which DAGS says can total as much as $10,000 per month — is used for things like salaries and benefits for five staff members; a flatbed truck, vehicle maintenance, insurance and fuel; shipping costs, phone bills and office supplies, and other miscellaneous office expenses, Ako says.
Speaking of holiday travel, the state Department of Transportation on Tuesday urged travelers to give themselves extra time at the airport during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Officials are preparing for a 10% increase in passenger volume at the state’s five busiest airports: The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Kahului Airport on Maui, Līhu‘e Airport on Kaua‘i, and The Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole and Hilo International Airport, both on Hawai‘i Island, the DOT says.
The busiest travel days are expected to be Wednesday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 30, with peak travel times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
