Lihue Airport

Lihue Airport

Kahua Mokulele o Līhuʻe
Runway 03/21 and the passenger terminal in background; fire station in foreground
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorHawaii Department of Transportation
ServesKauai
LocationLihue, Hawaii
Elevation AMSL153 ft / 47 m
Coordinates21°58′34″N 159°20′20″W / 21.97611°N 159.33889°W / 21.97611; -159.33889
Websitehawaii.gov/lih
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
03/21 6,500 1,981 Asphalt
17/35 6,500 1,981 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 64 20 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Total passengers3,713,014
Aircraft operations115,545
Based aircraft (2022)46

Lihue Airport (IATA: LIH, ICAO: PHLI, FAA LID: LIH) is a state-owned public-use airport located in the Līhuʻe CDP on the southeast coast of the island of Kauaʻi in Kauai County, Hawaiʻi, United States, two nautical miles east of the center of the CDP.[1][3]

The airport does not serve as a hub for any airline carrier. Numerous inter-island flights are available daily on Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines, and major US and Canadian airlines operate flights on narrow-body aircraft to major cities in western mainland North America.

The airport is mostly un-walled and open-air, and the check-in is completely outside. The airport is the primary gateway to Kauai for visitors (especially tourists), and has several rental car facilities. Five motion pictures have filmed scenes at the Lihue Airport: Blue Hawaii, Honeymoon in Vegas, Six Days Seven Nights, Soul Surfer, and The Descendants.

It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[4]

Facilities and aircraft

Lihue Airport covers an area of 915 acres (370 hectares) at an elevation of 153 feet (47 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways designated 3/21 and 17/35, each measuring 6,500 by 150 feet (1,981 by 46 m). The airport also has one helipad measuring 64 by 64 feet (20 by 20 m).[1][5]

For the 12-month period ending on August 5, 2022, the airport had 109,650 aircraft operations, an average of 300 per day: 61% air taxi, 28% scheduled commercial, 10% general aviation and 1% military. At that time there were 46 aircraft based at this airport: 19 single-engine, 5 multi-engine and 22 helicopter.[1]

On a typical day, certain gates are used for certain airlines to arrive in and depart out of the Lihue Airport. Gates 9-10 are mostly used by United Airlines, flying Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-900ER aircraft along with occasionally using the Boeing 757-200. Alaska Airlines occasionally uses Gate 9 as well. Gates 7-8 are mostly used by Delta Air Lines using the Airbus A321neo, Alaska Airlines using Boeing 737 aircraft, Southwest Airlines and WestJet. Hawaiian Airlines uses both Boeing 717 and Airbus A321 aircraft for gates 3-4, and 5-6 for their inter-island and US mainland flights, according to the airline staff. American Airlines mostly uses Gate 3 and occasionally Gate 4, using the Airbus A321 to fly in and out of Lihue. All gate areas are air-conditioned.

Hawaiian Airlines operates one Premier Lounge at the airport, open to first class travelers.[6]

Airlines and destinations

A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 at the gate
Terminal
Inside the airport terminal
ATC tower
AirlinesDestinations
Alaska Airlines San Diego, San Francisco (begins June 13, 2025),[7] San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma
Seasonal: Portland (OR)
American Airlines Los Angeles, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Delta Air Lines Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma
Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento[8]
Southwest Airlines Honolulu, Kahului, Las Vegas, Oakland
Seasonal: Los Angeles
United Airlines Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco
WestJet Seasonal: Vancouver

Statistics

Passenger numbers

Annual passenger traffic at LIH airport. See Wikidata query.

Top domestic destinations

Busiest domestic routes from LIH
(September 2021 – October 2022)[9]
Rank City Passengers Airlines
1 Honolulu, HI 615,810 Hawaiian, Southwest
2 Los Angeles, CA 272,470 American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, United
3 Seattle, WA 143,870 Alaska, Delta
4 Kahului, HI 115,430 Hawaiian, Southwest
5 San Francisco, CA 93,710 United
6 Oakland, CA 92,850 Hawaiian, Southwest
7 Phoenix, AZ 73,560 American
8 San Jose, CA 56,700 Alaska, Southwest
9 Denver, CO 51,300 United
10 San Diego, CA 49,770 Alaska

Airline market share

Busiest airlines serving LIH (March 2021 – February 2022)[10]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Hawaiian Airlines 1,054,000 43.01%
2 Southwest Airlines 418,000 17.06%
3 United Airlines 334,000 13.61%
4 Alaska Airlines 288,000 11.75%
5 American Airlines 206,000 8.39%
6 Other 151,000 6.18%

Public transport

The Kauaʻi Bus route 100/200 connects the airport to downtown Lihue.

Accidents and incidents

A Beechcraft Model 77 Skipper belonging to the Civil Air Patrol crashed into a chain link fence shortly after takeoff on December 15, 2022. The pilot and his young son suffered non-life threatening injuries.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for LIH PDF, effective 2021-12-30
  2. ^ "Lihue Airport". airports.hawaii.gov.
  3. ^ "Lihue CDP, Hawaii Archived 2011-11-19 at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009.
  4. ^ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  5. ^ "LIH airport at skyvector.com". Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  6. ^ "Our Airport Premier Clubs". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "Alaska Airlines Expands San Francisco - Hawaii Network from June 2025". AeroRoutes. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "Hawaiian Airlines to add new nonstop flights to Lihue and Kona from Sacramento". KCRA. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  9. ^ "Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic)- U.S. Carriers". BTS, Transportation Statistics. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  10. ^ "Lihue, HI: Lihue Airport (LIH) Scheduled Services except Freight/Mail". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  11. ^ "Plane lost power before Līhu'e Airport crash". Kauai News Now.
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