Kahului International Airport Guide

Kahului Airport is Maui's primary gateway and Hawaii's second-busiest airport, sitting on the island's central isthmus between the Haleakalā and West Maui mountain ranges. It began full civilian operations in 1952, after the U.S. Navy transferred the wartime airfield to the Territory of Hawaii. The Hawaii Department of Transportation's Airports Division owns and operates the facility, whose Kahului staff also manage five smaller airports: Hana, Kapalua-West Maui, Molokai, Kalaupapa and Lanai.

A terminal designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff, with an open-air lobby and interior garden, was dedicated in 1966, replacing a temporary post-war structure built from surplus military materials. That building was itself superseded by the current Main Terminal, a $42.6 million facility built between 1985 and 1990. A control tower completed in 1988 stands 187 feet above sea level, overseeing the airfield's two active runways. Sixteen jetways serve the Main Terminal's South (Gates 1-16) and North (Gates 17-39) concourses, split between interisland and overseas departures; a separate Commuter Terminal, served by Mokulele Airlines, handles smaller interisland aircraft.

The Honolulu-Kahului corridor is one of the busiest air routes in the country, driven by heavy interisland demand. Beyond flights to the U.S. mainland, Kahului also receives seasonal international service from Canada, on Air Canada and WestJet, a rarity among Hawaii's neighbor-island airports.