Hawaii's Airport: An Essential Travel Gateway

is there an airport in hawaii

Hawaii, a US state, is served by several airports. The state's five major airports include the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the Kahului Airport in Maui, the Hilo International Airport on Hawaii Island, the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, and the Lihue Airport in Kauai. These airports offer a range of services and facilities for passengers travelling to and from Hawaii, with the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport even offering a wayfinding app for convenient navigation.

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Hawaii's five major airports

Hawaii has five major airports that are publicly owned and serve more than 10,000 passengers per year. These airports are:

  • Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
  • Kahului Airport (OGG)
  • Kona International Airport (KOA)
  • Hilo International Airport (ITO)
  • Lihue Airport (LIH)

Each of these airports has its own unique code, as listed above, which is used for identification and booking purposes. These codes can be found on the Hawaii Department of Transportation website, along with additional information about each airport, such as terminal maps and other useful details for visitors planning a trip to Hawaii.

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Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (IATA: HNL, ICAO: PHNL, FAA LID: HNL), also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main and largest airport in Hawaii. The airport is located in Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu and is named after Honolulu native and Medal of Honor recipient Daniel Inouye, who represented Hawaii in the United States Senate from 1963 until his death in 2012. The airport is situated in the Honolulu census-designated place, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Honolulu's central business district. Covering 4,220 acres (1,710 ha), the airport accounts for more than 1% of Oahu's land.

The airport has a light metro system, the Wiki Wiki Shuttle, which provides free shuttle services between the ticket lobbies of all three terminals and the concourses of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 post-security. A consolidated rental car facility (CONRAC) houses all rental car companies in a shared facility with 4,500 parking spaces across five levels. The airport also has a mobile app, available on Google Play and the Apple Store, to assist passengers with wayfinding.

While the airport is functional, some travellers have noted that it feels outdated and could benefit from modernisation. The dining options are located at a distance from the gates, and there are no duty-free shops available. However, security checks are generally quick and efficient. The Hawaii Department of Transportation has implemented improvements, such as the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) system, which allows eligible travellers to expedite their entry into the United States using a mobile application.

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Kahului Airport

The airport's history dates back to World War II when the Navy acquired land near Kahului to construct an air station. After the war, the Territory of Hawaii negotiated with the Navy to convert the naval air station into a civil airport, and by December 1947, the base was under civilian control. A passenger terminal was built, and the airport was prepared for its new role, with the installation of navigational and runway lighting systems.

Over the following decades, the airport underwent significant infrastructure development. A new control tower was completed in 1958, and a permanent terminal building was constructed by 1966. Expansion continued through the 1980s, with the addition of a commuter terminal and a new main terminal. In the 21st century, modernization efforts have continued, with expansions to the ticket lobby and baggage claim areas, the construction of a new airport access road, and the opening of a consolidated rental car facility linked to the terminal via a tram.

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Hilo International Airport

There are several airports in Hawaii, including Hilo International Airport.

The airport's history dates back to November 1968, when construction began on an interim overseas terminal with a price tag of $775,000. This terminal was dedicated on July 4, 1969, and was designed to accommodate the growing number of overseas passengers until a new terminal complex could be built. In 1970, the Governor of Hawaii, John Burns, established the Hilo Airport Advisory Committee, which was tasked with making recommendations for the long-term development of the airport. As a result, the terminals were relocated to the south of the newly lengthened Runway 8-26, allowing for the Boeing 747, the largest passenger airliner at the time.

The new terminal was completed in 1975, and phase two commenced immediately. In April 1976, the new, modern facility was dedicated. To accommodate the lengthened runway, the FAA opened a new, taller air traffic control tower in November 1979. By 1968, Northwest Airlines was operating a twice-weekly Boeing 707-320C jet service from Seattle to Hilo, with direct service from New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago.

However, by the mid-1980s, overseas traffic had declined significantly, and United Airlines, the sole remaining overseas carrier, terminated its scheduled service in December 1986. Hilo went without nonstop service to North America for almost two decades. It wasn't until April 2006 that ATA Airlines re-established daily non-stop service between Hilo and Oakland International Airport, using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This service proved so popular that ATA eventually switched to the larger Boeing 757-200 during the peak travel season. Unfortunately, ATA Airlines ceased operations in April 2008 due to rising fuel prices and the cancellation of a charter flight agreement.

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Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport

The Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, also known by its airport code KOA, is located in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The airport is named after astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who was born and raised in Kona and died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

The airport covers 4,204 acres of land at an elevation of 47 feet above mean sea level. It is the only remaining major airport in Hawaii where passengers board using mobile stairs or ramps instead of jet bridges. The airport consists of three terminals: Terminal 1, which includes gates 1 through 5; Terminal 2, which includes gates 6 through 10; and Terminal 3, which caters to smaller commuter flights.

The history of the airport dates back to 1970 when it was first constructed to serve the growing tourism industry in Kona. Prior to this, tourism was centred around Hilo Airport on the eastern side of the Big Island, requiring a nearly two-hour drive across the island for visitors to Kona. The opening of the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport helped shift tourism towards West Hawaii.

In 1993, the airport was renamed from Keāhole Airport to Keāhole-Kona International Airport, emphasising its association with the nearby resort town of Kona. This name change was further reinforced in 1997 when it became known as the Kona International Airport at Keāhole. In 1994, the runway was extended to 11,000 feet, making it the second-longest runway in the Hawaiian Islands. This extension allowed larger aircraft to utilise the airport, facilitating nonstop flights to Tokyo and beyond.

On January 8, 2017, the airport was officially renamed Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole, honouring the memory of the astronaut. A modernisation project was also undertaken in 2017 to combine the airport's two separate terminals into a single terminal area, enhancing security screening and improving the overall passenger experience.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, there are several airports in Hawaii.

The five major airports in Hawaii are:

- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (Oahu)

- Kahului Airport (Maui)

- Hilo International Airport (Hawaii Island)

- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (Hawaii Island)

- Lihue Airport (Kauai)

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is the busiest airport in Hawaii, with non-stop departures to cities such as Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and more.

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