HONOLULU -- Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced Friday that the upcoming multibillion-dollar transit project will now include a stop at the Honolulu International Airport.

The original route excluded the airport, but the mayor said Oahu needs an airport route because thousands of airport workers and travelers would use it.

“It's a no-brainer when you consider 7,000 people are employed at the airport,” said Hannemann. “It's a no-brainer when you consider 58,000 people either arrive or depart from the airport daily.”

Airport worker Nathaniel Luff said he'd ride the train to work.

“I think it would be a great idea,” said Luff. “It will alleviate a lot of traffic.”

“I would ride it. It would be cheaper for everyone budget wise because of gas,” said airport maintenance worker Cindy Willis.

The original 20-mile route from East Kapolei to Ala Moana through Salt Lake will remain the same.

The council kept the line through Salt Lake and Kalihi to keep the area's council member, Romy Cachola, voting for the project. The measure passed 5-4.

Hannemann said the airport route could be funded with the $180 million a year the state withholds from excise tax transit surcharge, or from the $480 million in the state airport fund.

Another funding option could be to ask the state for the 10 percent it takes to manage the additional general excise tax it collects on Oahu for transit funding.

State officials said the mayor has not yet asked them to help pay for an airport transit spur.

The 2.1-mile "spur" from the route would start at the Middle Street transit station to a station where the lei stands are. Officials estimated that the leg to the airport would cost $350 million.

A route that includes Pearl Harbor was rejected because officials said it would cost $700 million.

The 20-mile route runs from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center.

Some have fought the fact that the transit project does not initially include Waikiki or the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Some council members and representatives of DTS said that some of the alternatives that included going to UH Manoa did not qualify for federal funding.