Kona International Airport

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole
Kahua Mokulele Kauʻāina o Kona
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorHawaii Department of Transportation
ServesIsland of Hawaii
LocationKalaoa, Hawaii
Hub forMokulele Airlines Hawaiian Airlines
Elevation AMSL47 ft (14 m)
Coordinates19°44′20″N 156°02′44″W / 19.73889°N 156.04556°W / 19.73889; -156.04556 (Kona International Airport)
Websiteairports.hawaii.gov/koa
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Interactive map of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 11,000 3,353 Asphalt
Statistics (2025)
Aircraft operations99,319
Total Passengers4,172,484
Total Cargo (tons)57,297
Source: Federal Aviation Administration,[1] Department of Transportation Hawaii[2]

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (IATA: KOA, ICAO: PHKO, FAA LID: KOA) is the primary airport on the Island of Hawaiʻi, located in the Kailua-Kona area, Hawaii, United States.[3] The airport serves leeward (western) Hawaiʻi island, including the resorts in North Kona and South Kohala. It is one of two international airports serving Hawaiʻi island, the other being Hilo International Airport on the windward (eastern) side.

It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[4]

History

Construction

Much of the runway is built on a relatively recent lava flow: the 1801 Huʻehuʻe flow from Hualālai. This flow extended the shoreline out an estimated 1 mi (1.6 km), adding some 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) of land to the island[5] and creating Keāhole Point. The airport opened on July 1, 1970, with a single 6,500-foot (2.0 km) runway; the previous smaller airstrip was converted into the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area.

Construction crews from Bechtel Corporation used three million pounds of dynamite to flatten the lava tube riddled lava flow within 13 months.

In its first full year, 515,378 passengers passed through the new open-air tropical-style terminals.

Naming

The airport has had several names over its lifetime.

At the time of its opening in 1970, it was named the Ke-āhole Airport, after its geographical location, Keāhole Point, itself named after the ʻāhole fish found in the area.[6][7]

In 1993, the airport was renamed Keāhole-Kona International Airport, after the nearby resort town of Kona.[8] In 1997, the Kona name was further emphasized when the airport was renamed the Kona International Airport at Keāhole.

On January 8, 2017, the airport was renamed Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole to honor astronaut Ellison Onizuka who was born and raised in Kona and died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.[9]

Impact

Prior to the construction of the new airport in 1970, tourism was centered on the town of Hilo on the eastern side of the Big Island. Tourists to Kona and the western side of the island typically flew into the Hilo Airport and had to make nearly two hour drive across the island. The lack of a major airport became especially problematic as large resorts started opening in Kona around 1968.[10][11]

When the airport opened, it helped accelerate a shift of tourism from East Hawaii to West Hawaii. Tourism in Hilo had already taken a hit when a tsunami destroyed all seaside hotels in 1960.[12]

The full extent of the airport's impact and shift in tourism can be seen in Hawaii Island Strategic Plan for 2006 to 2015. By 2005 the percentage of accommodations on the west side of the island increased to 86% of the total. In 2005, just four modest hotels continued to serve the east side of the Big Island, with three of them dating back to the 1960s.[13]

Tourism has helped fuel Hawaii County's overall population growth. Between 1990 and 2010, the population increased 48%.[14]

Expansion

Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines were the primary air carriers during the early and mid-1970s for inter-island flights from Honolulu on Oahu, Kahului on Maui and Lihue on Kauai with Aloha operating Boeing 737-200 jets and Hawaiian operating McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets at this time.[15][16][17] In the late 1970s, Hawaiian operated larger McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 jets on its inter-island flights.[18]

By early 1985, United Airlines was operating nonstop service into the airport from both Los Angeles and San Francisco with Douglas DC-8-71 and wide-body McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jetliners.[19]

In 1991, a small museum, the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center opened at the airport. The displays included a sample of lunar soil, a spacesuit from Apollo 13, and personal items from Onizuka.[20][21]

In 1994, the airport's runway was extended to 11,000 feet (3,400 m), the second-longest in the Hawaiian Islands after Honolulu. The longer runways enabled much larger aircraft to use the airport, enabling nonstop flights between Kona and Tokyo or destinations in the United States beyond the West Coast hubs.

Japan Airlines (JAL) started a Kona-Tokyo flight in 1996. The route was suspended between 2010 and September 2017 leaving the island with only one scheduled international flight (to Vancouver) for a time.[22][23] Hawaiian Airlines filed an application with the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for nonstop flights from Kona to Tokyo's Haneda Airport, to restore the link between the two cities after JAL ended flights to Narita Airport in 2010.[24] The USDOT rejected the airline's application in favor of Delta's Seattle to Haneda flights despite support from residents of west Hawaii.[25] On October 23, 2013, Hawaiian Airlines announced that they would re-apply to the USDOT for nonstop Kona-Haneda flights a year after their application to fly that route was rejected.[26] On July 8, 2016, Hawaiian Airlines announced that nonstop Kona-Haneda flights would begin on December 20, 2016, after the USDOT awarded them the route in May.[27] JAL's resumption of daily Tokyo service in 2017 generated 900 jobs and $8.58 million in tax revenue for the Big Island during its first year, according to the Hawaiian Tourism Authority.[28] Tokyo service on both Hawaiian and JAL was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time a new international arrivals facility was built at Kona; JAL resumed its Narita-Kona route in August 2022.[29]

A modernization project started in March 2017 to combine the airport's two separate terminals into one terminal area. The program allowed the airport to have one, central security screening area and also allowed passengers to use the shopping and dining areas in either terminal. To enable the expansion, the Onizuka Space Center was closed in March 2016, and the airport was renamed after Onizuka in January 2017.

Facilities and aircraft

The airport's former control tower (demolished in 2014)
Passengers boarding a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole is about 7 miles (11 km) from the Kailua-Kona town site.[30] The airport covers 4,204 acres (1,701 ha) at an elevation of 47 feet (14 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt runway, 17/35, 11,000 by 150 feet (3,353 x 46 m), which has been shortened to 7,000 by 150 feet (2,134 x 46 m) until October 1, 2025 as part of a runway rehabilitation project.[1][31][32]

Passenger terminal

The state government of Hawaiʻi facility operates a runway and a terminal complex of single-story buildings along the eastern edge of the airfield for passengers, air cargo and mail, airport support, and general aviation. Airport operations fall under the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation.

The commercial passenger facility is a set of rambling, open-air, tropical-style structures, divided into three terminals: Terminal 1 includes gates 1 through 5, Terminal 2 includes gates 6 through 10, and Terminal 3 hosts smaller commuter flights. Kona International is the only remaining major airport in the Hawaiian Islands where passengers board using mobile stairs or ramps, instead of more modern jet bridges. Despite the less modern facilities, Kona is used by large airliners including the Airbus A321 and A330[33] along with the Boeing 717, 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Seasonal: Vancouver[34]
Alaska Airlines Los Angeles,[35] Portland (OR),[36] San Diego,[37] San Francisco,[38] Seattle/Tacoma[39]
Seasonal: Anchorage[40]
American Airlines Los Angeles,[41] Phoenix–Sky Harbor[42]
Seasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth[43]
Delta Air Lines Los Angeles,[43] Seattle/Tacoma[43]
Seasonal: Salt Lake City[44]
Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu,[45] Kahului,[46] Lihue,[47] Sacramento,[48] San Jose (CA)[49]
Mokulele Airlines Waimea[50]
Southwest Airlines Honolulu[51], Kahului[51], Las Vegas[51], Sacramento[51]
Seasonal: Los Angeles[51]
United Airlines Denver,[52] Los Angeles,[53] San Francisco[54]
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare[55]
WestJet Seasonal: Calgary,[56] Vancouver[56]

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Amazon Air Riverside/March Air Base[57]
Atlas Air[58] Kahului, Ontario

Statistics

Passenger numbers

PassengersYear01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,00019601970198019902000201020202030PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

Airline market share

Busiest airlines serving KOA
(June 2025 – May 2026)[59]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Alaska Airlines 1,281,411 31.7%
2 Hawaiian Airlines 853,202 21.1%
3 United Airlines 646,996 16.0%
4 Southwest Airlines 625,420 15.5%
5 American Airlines 289,731 7.2%
6 Other 349,990 8.6%

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from KOA (June 2025 – May 2026)[60]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Honolulu, Hawaii 712,403 Hawaiian, Southwest
2 Los Angeles, California 242,164 American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, United
3 Seattle/Tacoma, Washington 205,609 Alaska, Delta
4 San Francisco, California 178,619 Alaska, United
5 Kahului, Hawaii 146,522 Hawaiian, Mokulele, Southwest
6 Denver, Colorado 92,078 United
7 Sacramento, California 77,658 Hawaiian, Southwest
8 Phoenix, Arizona 65,386 American
9 Las Vegas, Nevada 55,539 Southwest
10 Portland, Oregon 52,466 Alaska
Busiest international routes from KOA (June 2025 – May 2026)[61]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Vancouver, Canada 37,340 Air Canada, Westjet
2 Calgary, Canada 20,959 Westjet

Accidents and incidents

  • On August 25, 1977, an Air Cargo Hawaii twin-turboprop Short SC.7 Skyvan crashed and burned while attempting to land at Keahole Airport. The pilot and passenger were killed. The crash occurred about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) short of the runway.[62]
  • On September 10, 1989, the pilot of an Aero Commander 680 was making an emergency landing on runway 17 due to loss of power in the right engine. He crashed about 0.25 mi (0.4 km) southwest of the runway, resulting in one fatality and one serious injury.[63]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for KOA" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Hawaii Dept. of Transportation-Airports Division-Airport Data". hidot.hawaii.gov. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  3. ↑ Guzmán, Andrea (September 26, 2024). "Southwest Airlines announces a flurry of new initiatives for the coming years". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ Fishponds versus lava flows, USGS, 1997
  6. ↑ Mary Kawena Pukui; Samuel Hoyt Elbert; Esther T. Mookini (2004). "lookup of keahole". in Place Names of Hawai'i. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, University of Hawaiʻi Press. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  7. ↑ John R. K. Clark (2004). "lookup of keahole". in Hawai'i Place Names: Shores, Beaches, and Surf Sites. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, University of Hawaiʻi Press. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  8. ↑ Kona Airport timeline official web site
  9. ↑ "Kona International Airport takes on new name for the new year". Pacific Business News. January 3, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  10. ↑ Kona Village Resort Archived March 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine on Fodor web site
  11. ↑ Royal Kona Resort History Archived June 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine on Destination 360 web site
  12. ↑ The Great Hilo Tsunami on UC Davis web site
  13. ↑ Hawaii Island Strategic Plan for 2006 to 2015 County of Hawaii web site
  14. ↑ Hawaii Population Growth Kailua Kona US Census web site
  15. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, January 1, 1971, Aloha Airlines timetable
  16. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, June 15, 1971, Hawaiian Airlines timetable
  17. ↑ April 15, 1975, Official Airline Guide (OAG), Kona flight schedules
  18. ↑ https://www.departedflights.com, November 15, 1979, Official Airline Guide (OAG), Kona flight schedules
  19. ↑ https://www.departedflights.com, February 15, 1985, Official Airline Guide (OAG), Kona flight schedules
  20. ↑ Onizuka Space Center official web site
  21. ↑ "Celebrating science: Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center observes anniversary". West Hawaii Today. July 20, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Last JAL Kona-to-Tokyo flight lands on Big Island". Maui News.
  23. ↑ "Big Island Bids Aloha to JAL". Bizjournals. October 29, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Hawaiian Finishes Application". Yahoo Finance.
  25. ↑ "DOT Rejects Hawaiian Airlines Request for Kona-Haneda Service". West Hawaii Today. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Hawaiian Airlines applying for flights to Haneda". West Hawaii Today. October 23, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  27. ↑ "The Japan News".
  28. ↑ Murar, Katie (September 17, 2018). "Japan Airlines generated $8.6M in Hawaii tax revenues in its first year". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  29. ↑ "New Kona international arrivals facility welcomes back Japanese visitors". Hawai'i Public Radio. August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Driving Directions". Kona International Airport. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  31. ↑ "KOA airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. FAA data effective February 23, 2025.
  32. ↑ "KOA Runway 17/35 Rehabilitation Project". Hawaii DOT Airports Airfield Projects. May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  33. ↑ Airlines, Hawaiian. "Hawaiian Airlines to Offer Daily Summer Service to Kaua'i from Los Angeles and Oakland". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Where We Fly". Air Canada. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Alaska Airlines adds 12 new destinations in 2020 from LAX". Alaska Airlines. July 16, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Nonstop Destinations". FlyPDX. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Nonstop Destinations | San Diego International Airport". San Diego International Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Alaska Airlines strengthens commitment to San Diego, Portland and Hawai'i with 13 new routes, and adds more flight frequencies across our network". Alaska Airlines. October 27, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Nonstop Domestic Routes | Port of Seattle". Port of Seattle. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Midair mechanical issue forces Alaska Air flight into emergency landing in Anchorage". KTUU. February 6, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  41. ↑ "AA flight lands safely in LA after engine trouble". CBS News. April 23, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Where We Fly". Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  43. 1 2 3 McCarthy, Daniel (March 25, 2025). "American Airlines Expands Hawaii Service with New Kona Flight from Dallas". Travelmarket. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Delta Airlines Unveils New Nonstop Service from Salt Lake City to Kona, Expanding Winter Travel Options to Hawaii with Increased Capacity and Premium Features". Travel and Tour World. March 22, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  45. ↑ "Flights from Kona to Honolulu". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Flights from Kona to Kahului". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Flights from Lihue to Kona". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Hawaiian Airlines to add new nonstop flights to Lihue and Kona from Sacramento". KCRA. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  49. ↑ "Hawaiian And Alaska Are Quietly Swapping Routes. Here's What It Really Means". Beat of Hawaii. December 21, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  50. ↑ Curran, Andrew. "US's Mokulele Airlines sets full flight resumption date". ch-aviation. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 "Southwest Routes List". Southwest Airlines. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  52. ↑ "United Airlines Says Aloha to More Hawaii, Increases Service to 40 Daily Flights" (Press release). United Airlines / PR Newswire. June 13, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Hawaii-bound flight forced to return to LAX due to mechanical issue". KTLA. December 31, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  54. ↑ Chelsea Jensen (July 2, 2020). "United resumes nonstop service to Kona". West Hawaii Today. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  55. ↑ Michelle Baran (February 12, 2021). "United Adds Hawaii Flights From California, Chicago, and Newark". AFAR. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  56. 1 2 "WestJet to offer Canadians the most flights to Hawaii this winter" (Press release). WestJet. June 10, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Amazon Air Expands operations to Kona International Airport". Tribune Herald. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  58. ↑ "Atlas Air Schedule". Atlas Air. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  59. ↑ "Flights from Kailua-Kona(KOA) — airlines, routes & aircraft". The Frequent Flier. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  60. ↑ "Flights from Kailua-Kona(KOA) — airlines, routes & aircraft". The Frequent Flier. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  61. ↑ "Flights from Kailua-Kona(KOA) — airlines, routes & aircraft". The Frequent Flier. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
  62. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Shorts SC.7 Skyvan 3-200 N4917 Kona-Keahole Airport, HI (KOA)".
  63. ↑ "NTSB Identification: LAX89FA307". National Traffic Safety Board. Archived from the original on June 24, 2002. Retrieved September 11, 2022.

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Kona International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.