Main Hawaiian Island Airports

Hawaii has five major commercial airports spread across four islands, plus three smaller airports that mostly handle local inter-island service. Nearly every mainland flight to Hawaii lands at one of the five majors: HNL on Oahu, OGG on Maui, KOA or ITO on the Big Island, and LIH on Kauai. Which one you fly into dictates how much driving you'll do on arrival day, so it matters — a lot.

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu is Hawaii's main hub, handling about 21.9 million passengers a year. It was renamed in 2017 to honor the late Senator Daniel Inouye. Most mainland US, international, and long-haul flights land here, and HNL is the only airport in the state with non-stop service to Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. From HNL, Waikiki is about a 20–30 minute drive.

Kahului Airport (OGG) is Maui's main gateway and the second-busiest airport in Hawaii, serving 7–9 million passengers depending on the year. Most Maui-bound flights from the mainland West Coast land here, along with inter-island connections. Kahului sits in central Maui — Kaanapali and Lahaina are about 45 minutes west, and the Wailea resort coast is about 25 minutes south.

The Big Island has two commercial airports. Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) on the leeward (west) coast handles 3–5 million passengers a year and serves the resort coast from Kailua-Kona up to Waikoloa and Mauna Lani. It was renamed in 2017 for astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who grew up in Kona and died in the Challenger disaster. Hilo International Airport (ITO) on the windward (east) side serves about 1.4 million passengers and is the natural gateway if your Big Island trip is focused on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hilo town, or the Hāmākua Coast. The one-way drive from Kona to Hilo takes 2.5+ hours, so pick your arrival airport carefully.

Lihue Airport (LIH) is Kauai's only commercial airport. It's a small-hub facility with two runways and eight gates, served by most of the major mainland airlines — Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, and United among them. From LIH, Poipu is about 30 minutes south and Princeville is about 45 minutes north.

The smaller airports — Molokai (MKK), Lanai (LNY), and Kapalua West Maui (JHM) — are served primarily by Mokulele Airlines and Southern Airways Express operating small turboprops. Mokulele runs 100+ daily flights across nine Hawaiian airports and is the only airline currently providing regular commercial service to both Molokai and Lanai.

For inter-island travel, Hawaiian Airlines dominates with around 170 daily flights connecting the Hawaiian islands, and Southwest Airlines also runs inter-island service. Details for each airport, terminal maps, and arrival tips are linked below.