PASSENGER planes that left for Hawaii are being diverted mid-air while scores of travelers have been left waiting in airport lounges after a monster earthquake sparked tsunami threats.

Hawaii is bracing for waves as high as potentially 10 foot after the 8.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Russia. 

The quake hit about 84 miles off the coast at around 7.24pm EST on Tuesday (12:30am BST) at a shallow depth of 19.3km (12 miles).

It is the 7th largest ever recorded and the largest since the 2011 shake which led to a tsunami that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Pictures show scores of travelers waiting for updates in Los Angeles International Airport. 

And, Alaska and Hawaiian are among the carriers that have paused flights.

Some passenger planes en-route to Hawaii have been forced to divert.

Travelers are asking Alaska Airlines if flights to Hawaii will be canceled in light of the tsunami warning.

Meanwhile, bosses at Hawaiian have issued a travel waiver to all impacted passengers.

Those who are traveling between July 29 and 30 can reschedule their flight and they will not be charged.

Alternatively, passengers can cancel their flights and will be given credit, which can be used toward a new plane ticket.