The main airport on the island of Hawaii - also known as the Big Island - is Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, commonly referred to as Kona International Airport. The airport serves inter island and transpacific flights. It’s used by both commercial carriers and private jet charter companies.
The airport is located at Keahole in the Kailua-Kona area, on the western side of the Big Island. It’s also known as Kona Keahole Airport, Keahole-Kona International Airport, or simply Kona Airport.
Kona Airport is particularly convenient for visiting the western side of the Big Island, with the east coast a couple of hours’ drive away. Attractions on the drier, more sheltered side of the island include white sand beaches, luxury resorts, and a choice of outstanding golf courses.
Key Information
Airport Name: Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport
IATA / ICAO Code: KOA / PHKO
Location: Keahole, Big Island, Hawaii
Opening times: TSA checkpoint open 5.15am to 11pm daily
Terminals: Kahului Airport has three terminals:
Terminal 1: Gates 1 to 5
Terminal 2: Gates 6 to 10
Terminal 3: Commuter flights
Facilities & Other Services
Wi-Fi: Unlimited Free WiFi is available at Kona Airport. To access it, select the free WiFi network KOA Free WiFi on your device.
Lounges: There is one Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club lounge at Kona Airport, located in the passenger gate area. The lounge can be accessed by Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club members.
Duty-Free Shopping: There is no duty-free shop at Kona Airport, though there are several stores including a gift shop, news stand, and flower and lei shops.
Restaurants and Cafes: A Laniakea by Centerplate restaurant and bar can be found at terminal one and terminal two, plus a snack bar in the central area.
Currency Exchange: There are ATMs available at the airport.
Medical Facilities: The airport has a number of Automated External Defibrillators (AED), spaced a 90-second walk apart. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighters also provide an emergency medical service 24/7.
Car Rental: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty all have rental outlets at Kona Airport.
Airlines: About 10 commercial airlines from the US, Canada and Japan operate flights to and from Kona Airport. Private jet charters also use the airport.
About Kona International Airport
Kona International Airport is the main airport for the island of Hawaii, or the Big Island. The hub is located around midway down the western coast. It serves the resorts in North Kona and South Kohala, on the western, or leeward, side. The island’s other airport is Hilo International in the east.
As the island is just over 90 miles across at its widest point, the airport can be used by visitors traveling all over the Big Island. To circumnavigate the entire coastline via the Hawaiian Belt Road takes around six hours by car, or to drive from east to west (or vice versa) takes about two hours.
Keahole Point, where the airport is located, was created by an 1801 lava flow from Hualalai, which resulted in the shoreline gaining around a mile in length. Previously, there was another airstrip on the site, which later became the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area, and this still exists today.
During construction, dynamite was used for over a year to flatten the lava flow. Today, the modestly-sized airport has an open-air design, with a tropical feel.
The full name - Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport - honors a Kona-born astronaut who died in the Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986. In turn, Keahole Point was named after an ahole, or Hawaiian flagtail, fish, which inhabits the area. The Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center was once a small museum at the airport, but has since closed to allow for expansion.
The airport first opened in 1970 as Keahole Airport. It became Keahole-Kona International Airport in 1993, then the Kona International Airport at Keahole in 1997. The current Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport name has been used since 2017.
Kona International Airport has undergone various modernization programs since opening in 1970, and continues to do so.
Big Island Travel Guide
The Big Island is, unsurprisingly, the largest in the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s especially popular with fans of beach life, nature, and golfing. Officially called Hawaii, the island is well known for active volcanoes, its picturesque coastline, orchids and world-class golf courses.
The Big Island’s size means there is a diverse range of terrain. There are 2 active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, at Volcanoes National Park. You can also find green sands at Papakolea beach, and black at Punalu’u. The island also has tropical rainforest, and popular snorkeling beaches such as Hapuna and Kahalu’u.
Big Island highlights
Beaches: The sheer diversity of the Big Island’s beaches is unparalleled. Firstly, you can find sands in white, green, and black scattered along the island’s coastline. Whether you want to sunbathe, swim, snorkel or surf, you can find the ideal beach somewhere on the Big Island.
Papakolea green sand beach is one of only four in the world, and is close to the island’s southernmost tip. Punalu’u has black basalt sand, and is also in the south, but north of Papakolea.
By contrast, Hapuna beach has white sand, and is close to Hapuna Golf Course on the Kohala Coast in the west. It’s the biggest sandy beach on the island, and a popular snorkeling spot. Kahaluʻu beach, in the Kailua-Kona area, is the best choice for surfers.
Golf courses: The Big Island is known for golfing, and offers some truly world-class courses. They also offer phenomenal panoramic views of the island and its coastline. Most of them are conveniently located in the west, close to Kona Airport.
Options for beginners and seasoned golfers are many and varied. The Hualalai Golf Course is set among black lava fields, while the Mauna Kea Golf Course is one of Hawaii’s finest. The pair of Mauna Kea Golf Resorts are also deservedly popular.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to two major active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The highest summit in the park is 13,680 feet above sea level. Kilauea and Mauna Loa are two of the most active volcanoes on earth.
The national park also offers the Crater Rim Drive and the Chain of Craters Road, passing steam vents and lava fields. There’s also Thurston Lava Tube or Nāhuku, the Jaggar Museum with a Halema'uma'u Crater viewpoint, and lots of hiking trails.
You might also spot wild orchids at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Alternatively, you can see the lovely tropical flora in the forests of the east, or at the farms, gardens and nurseries where they are grown.
Other things to do on the Big Island: The Big Island also offers natural attractions such as Akaka Falls State Park, the Mauna Kea volcano, Rainbow Falls, the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, and Kaumana Caves. Historic sites of interest, meanwhile, include Hulihe‘e Palace, Liliʻuokalani Gardens, and Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site.
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Parks tick all the boxes, offering an appealing blend of historic, natural and cultural attractions. The island also has deluxe resorts, and a range of cafes and restaurants serving local dishes and international cuisine.
Big Island Climate: The Big Island is generally warmer and drier than other Hawaiian islands such as Oahu and Maui. All year round temperatures are hot, with highs between 27°C and 31°C. There are variations, of course, across the relatively large island.
Between May and October is the summer season. Average summer highs are around 29°C to 31°C, with about two days of rain per month. Winter is between November and April, though temperatures only drop very slightly during those months. Average winter highs are around 27°C to 29°C. You can expect only a day or two of rain per month during winter.
The eastern side of Hawaii island tends to be wetter and more humid than the west. Kona International Airport is on the drier western side of the island.
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