Lois Larson
Hilo International Airport (ITO) is one of the two major airports on the Big Island of Hawaii. The IATA airport code ITO is likely derived from the fact that, in the first half of the twentieth century, residents of the Big Island of Hawaii referred to the City of Hilo as Hilo Town, with ITO being an acronym for HIlo TOwn, the closest city to the airport. Another theory suggests that the airport was named after one of the first Hawaiian Airlines Hilo Airport station managers, Mr. Ito.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Airport | Hilo International Airport |
| Airport Code | ITO |
| Location | Big Island, Hawaii |
| IATA Code | ITO |
| Reason for the Code ITO | Named after a station manager, Mr. Ito. Also, the codes HIL and ILO were already taken by other airports. |
| Previous Name | General Lyman Field |
| Year of Name Change | 1989 |
| Taxi Services | Available at the designated exclusive taxi lane for queuing in front of the Baggage Claim Area |
| Taxi Rates | $3.00 flag drop + $0.30 per 1/8th mile + $0.30 per minute for waiting time + $1.00 per bag |
| Distance from Downtown Hilo | 2 miles |
| Distance from Volcano Village and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | 45 minutes by car |
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What You'll Learn
- Hilo International Airport was named ITO because residents of the Big Island of Hawaii referred to the City of Hilo as Hilo Town
- The airport code may be derived from the nickname HIlo TOwn
- The airport code ILO was already taken by Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo, Philippines
- HIL was also already taken by Shillavo Airport in Ethiopia
- The airport code may be named after an early manager at the airport, Mr. Ito
Hilo International Airport was named ITO because residents of the Big Island of Hawaii referred to the City of Hilo as Hilo Town
Hilo International Airport, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, is one of the two major airports on the island. The airport's three-letter IATA airport code is ITO. While there is no official explanation for the code, there are a few theories as to why it was chosen.
One theory suggests that the airport was named ITO because, during the first half of the twentieth century, residents of the Big Island of Hawaii often referred to the City of Hilo as "Hilo Town". Thus, "HIlo TOwn" became associated with the closest city or town to the airport. This theory highlights the connection between the airport and the nearby city of Hilo, which is located just two miles east of the airport.
Another theory suggests that the airport code ITO may be derived from the name of one of the early station managers of the airport, a Mr. Ito. This theory suggests that the airport code could be an abbreviation or tribute to this individual's contributions to the airport's operations or development.
It is worth noting that other factors may have influenced the choice of the airport code. For example, the codes HIL and ILO were already in use by other airports in Ethiopia and the Philippines, respectively. As a result, the choice of ITO may have been a practical decision to avoid confusion and ensure a unique identification for Hilo International Airport.
Hilo International Airport has undergone various improvements and expansions over the years. Initially established in the early 1920s, the airport began operations as Hilo Airport in 1928. During World War II, the U.S. military took control of the airport for military use, and it served as a logistics base and training ground. In the following decades, the airport expanded to accommodate larger planes and increasing passenger traffic, including the construction of new terminals and runways. Despite these developments, Hilo International Airport has become a minor airport in Hawaii, no longer accommodating flights from the US mainland.
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The airport code may be derived from the nickname HIlo TOwn
The airport code for Hilo International Airport is ITO. There is no official explanation for this, but there are a few theories. One theory suggests that the code was derived from the nickname "HIlo TOwn", a name that residents of the Big Island of Hawaii used to refer to the City of Hilo in the first half of the twentieth century. As the airport is located just two miles east of Hilo, this could be a plausible explanation.
Another theory suggests that the code was derived from the name of one of the first Hawaiian Airlines Hilo Airport station managers, Mr. Ito. This theory is supported by the fact that the airport codes HIL and ILO were already taken by Shillavo Airport in Ethiopia and Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo, Philippines, respectively. Using ITO would have been a way to distinguish Hilo International Airport from these other airports, while still maintaining a similar sound to its location.
Hilo International Airport was known as General Lyman Field until 1989 when it was renamed to reflect its expected future role in international travel. However, this did not come to pass, and the airport has since become a minor airport in Hawaii, no longer accommodating flights from the US mainland. Despite this, Hilo International Airport remains an important hub for travel to and from the Big Island, with taxi, bus, and rental car options available for visitors upon arrival.
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The airport code ILO was already taken by Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo, Philippines
Hilo International Airport, also known as General Lyman Field until 1989, is located about two miles east of Hilo, on the eastern shore of Hawaii's Big Island. The airport's three-letter IATA code is ITO. While there is no official explanation for this code, the Hawaii State Department of Transportation has proposed several theories.
One theory suggests that the airport code ITO was chosen because the codes ILO and HIL were already in use by Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo, Philippines, and Shillavo Airport in Ethiopia, respectively. The code ITO was likely selected as it also sounds similar to the name Hilo. This theory holds weight, considering the importance of unique airport codes for effective aviation operations and navigation.
Another intriguing theory suggests that the airport was named ITO in honour of one of the early Hawaiian Airlines Hilo Airport station managers, Mr. Ito. This theory highlights the potential influence of notable individuals in airport code assignments.
Additionally, it is speculated that the code ITO might originate from the nickname HIlo TOwn, which was commonly used by residents of the Big Island of Hawaii when referring to the City of Hilo during the first half of the twentieth century. Thus, HIlo TOwn became associated with the closest city or town to the airport.
Hilo International Airport holds historical significance, with its roots tracing back to the early 1920s. Over the years, it has undergone improvements and expansions to accommodate more visitors and larger aircraft. Despite expectations for it to become a significant hub for international travel, it has since become a minor airport in Hawaii, no longer serving flights from the US mainland. Nonetheless, it remains an integral part of Hawaii's aviation infrastructure, serving as one of the two major airports on the Big Island.
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HIL was also already taken by Shillavo Airport in Ethiopia
The airport code for Hilo International Airport is ITO. There are a few theories as to why this is the case. One theory is that the airport is named after one of the first Hawaiian Airlines Hilo Airport station managers, a Mr. Ito. Another theory is that the code ITO was chosen because the code HIL was already taken by Shillavo Airport in Ethiopia. During the first half of the twentieth century, residents of the Big Island of Hawaii referred to the City of Hilo as Hilo Town, and so the airport code may have been derived from HIlo TOwn, the closest city or town to the airport.
Hilo International Airport is one of the two major airports on the Big Island of Hawaii. The airport is located about two miles east of Hilo, on the eastern shore of the Big Island. The airport was known as General Lyman Field until 1989, when it was renamed Hilo International to reflect its future role in international travel. However, this did not come to pass, and the airport has become a minor airport in Hawaii.
The IATA airport code, ITO, is used on baggage tags for flights to Hilo International Airport. The code is also used in flight schedules and timetables. For example, in 1976, United Airlines operated a Douglas DC-8 flight four days a week with a westbound routing of New York Newark Airport (EWR) – Cleveland (CLE) – San Francisco (SFO) – Hilo (ITO).
The airport code ITO is also used by taxi cab companies that service Hilo airport. The code helps to distinguish Hilo International Airport from other airports in Hawaii, such as Kona International Airport (KOA) and Honolulu International Airport (HNL).
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The airport code may be named after an early manager at the airport, Mr. Ito
The airport code for Hilo International Airport is ITO. There is no official explanation for this, but one theory is that it is named after an early manager at the airport, Mr. Ito.
Hilo Airport began operations in 1928 and was renamed Hilo International in 1989 to reflect its expected future role in international travel. The airport code ITO may have been assigned to the airport before this renaming. During this time, Mr. Ito was one of the first Hawaiian Airlines Hilo Airport station managers.
Another theory for the airport code ITO is that it is derived from the nickname for the city of Hilo, "Hilo Town." In the first half of the twentieth century, residents of the Big Island of Hawaii referred to the city as Hilo Town, and so the airport code may be a reference to the closest city or town to the airport.
The IATA airport code for Hilo Airport is ITO, which closely resembles the name of the airport and its location. The codes HIL and ILO were already taken by other airports, so ITO may have been chosen as it sounds similar to Hilo.
Overall, while there is no definitive answer, it is possible that the airport code ITO is named after Mr. Ito, an early manager at Hilo Airport, or it may be a reference to the city of Hilo being known as Hilo Town.
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Frequently asked questions
There are a few theories as to why the Hilo International Airport code is ITO. One theory suggests that the code was derived from the nickname for Hilo, "Hilo Town", in the first half of the twentieth century. Another theory suggests that the airport was named after one of the first Hawaiian Airlines Hilo Airport station managers, Mr. Ito.
Other airport codes in Hawaii include KOA (Kona) and HNL (Honolulu).
The airport was named Hilo International in 1989 to reflect its future role in international travel, however, this did not materialize and it became a minor airport in Hawaii.
HIL was considered as an airport code, but it was already taken by Shillavo Airport in Ethiopia. ILO was also unavailable as it was being used by Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo, Philippines.
The International Airport Transportation Association (IATA) code for Hilo Airport is ITO.
