Honolulu International Airport
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Categories: Articles needing additional references from April 2007 | Future airport expansion | Honolulu, Hawaii | Airports in Hawaii | Transportation in Honolulu
For the United States Air Force use of this facility, see Hickam Air Force Base.
Honolulu International Airport (IATA: HNL, ICAO: PHNL, FAA LID: HNL) is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States. It is located three miles (5 km) northwest of the city's central business district.[1] Main roads leading to the airport are Nimitz Highway and the Queen Liliuokalani Freeway of Interstate H-1. Honolulu International Airport serves as the principal hub of Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines, the two largest Hawaii-based airlines, and as a focus city for both Northwest Airlines and ATA Airlines. Both airlines offer flights between the various airports of the Hawaiian Islands and also serve the continental United States. Honolulu International Airport is host to major United States and international flagship commercial carriers with direct routes to American, Asian, and Pacific Rim destinations.
HistoryImage:Honolulu port.jpg
View of Honolulu from an airplane departing from Honolulu International Airport
HNL opened in March 1927 as John Rodgers Airport, named after World War I naval officer John Rodgers. It was funded by the territorial legislature and the Chamber of Commerce, and was the first full airport in Hawaii: aircraft had previously been limited to small landing strips, fields or seaplane docks. From 1939 to 1943, the adjacent Keehi Lagoon was dredged for use by seaplanes, and the dredged soil was moved to HNL to provide more space for conventional airplanes. John Rodgers Airport was renamed Honolulu International Airport in 1947. Due to its proximity to the center of the Pacific Ocean, it was historically a stop for many transpacific flights to and from North America. By 1950, it was the third-busiest airport in the United States in terms of aircraft operations. In 1959, Qantas began the first jet service to Honolulu as a stop on its flights between Australia and California. The original terminal building was demolished in 1965 and replaced by the John Rodgers Terminal, dedicated in 1962. This terminal was expanded several times with the addition of the Diamond Head Concourse in 1970, the Ewa Concourse in 1972 and the Central Concourse in 1980. [1] With the advent of ultra-long range aircraft, most transpacific flights are now able to overfly Honolulu. As such, the airport has seen a notable decrease in international passenger traffic over the years, particularly to Australia, the South Pacific and southeast Asia. However, Honolulu has continued to see major growth in the domestic market as major airlines have added frequent and even non-stop links to large, previously unserved markets such as Phoenix, Newark, Denver and Atlanta. Future plans
Image:HNL Modernization.PNG
The new terminal expansions (red) on Honolulu International Airport depicted as part of the $2.3 billion modernization program of the airport in 12 years.
On March 24, 2006, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle unveiled a $2.3 billion modernization program for Honolulu International Airport over a 12-year period. The plan involves implementing short-term projects within the first five years to improve passenger service and increase security and operational efficiencies. These include upgrades to the passenger terminals, ticket counters, baggage screening operations, runways and airport aprons, airport infrastructure such as air conditioning, restroom facilities, elevators, escalators, electrical systems, drains and sprinkler systems. In addition, the plan incorporates improvements to comply with federal regulations on storm water systems, runway safety, perimeter security and crash fire safety. Long-term improvement projects include increasing the airports’ capacity and enhancing convenience and efficiency. These projects include constructing additional gates, ramp space and passenger loading bridges, increasing holding room capacity, and expanding public parking facilities. AuthorityHonolulu International Airport is part of a centralized state structure governing all of the airports and seaports of Hawaiʻi. The official authority of Honolulu International Airport is the Governor of Hawaiʻi. He or she appoints the Director of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation who has jurisdiction over the Hawaiʻi Airports Administrator. The Hawaiʻi Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office, Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawaiʻi: Hawaiʻi District, Kauaʻi District, Maui District and the principal Oʻahu District. Honolulu International Airport is a subordinate of the Oʻahu District officials. Facilities and aircraftImage:HNLcontroltower.JPG
HNL's old control tower
Image:HNL reef runway.jpg
The Reef Runway
The airport has four major runways. The principal runway designated 8R/26L, also known as the Reef Runway, is the world's first major runway constructed entirely offshore. Completed in 1977, the Reef Runway is a designated alternate landing site for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration space shuttle program in association with Hickam Air Force Base, which shares Honolulu International Airport's airfield operations. In addition to the four paved runways, Honolulu International Airport has two designated offshore runways designated 8W/26W and 4W/22W for use by seaplanes. The entire terminal complex features twenty-four hour medical services, restaurants, shopping centers and a business center with conference rooms for private use. Passengers have the option of using various short-term and long-term parking structures on the grounds of Honolulu International Airport. For the 12-month period ending December 8, 2006, the airport had 323,726 aircraft operations, an average of 886 per day: 55% scheduled commercial, 26% general aviation, 15% air taxi and 5% military. There are 206 aircraft based at this airport: 48% single-engine, 27% multi-engine, 16% military, 6% helicopter and 3% jet.[1] Airlines, terminals and destinations
Honolulu International Airport has three terminal buildings. A fleet of Chance RT-52 buses provide interterminal transportation between the ticket counters of all three terminals and between the concourses in the Interisland and Main terminals. The buses, known as "Wiki Wiki" buses (from the Hawaiian word for "fast"), are the namesake for the WikiWikiWeb, and by extension, Wikipedia. Commuter Terminal (Gates 71-80)The Commuter Terminal serves smaller airlines which operate flights between both the smaller and major commercial airports in the island chain. go! uses gates 71-74,[2] Island Air uses gates 75-77, go! Express uses gate 79, and Pacific Wings uses gate 80. Gate 78 is currently unassigned. Lobby 1
Interisland Terminal (Gates 49-64)Image:DSC00913.JPG
Honolulu International Airport's Inter-island terminal.
The Interisland Terminal mainly serves the interisland flights of Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines. It is designed to handle flights of jet aircraft between the major commercial airports in the Hawaiian Islands, and is also used by Aloha for flights to the west coast of the United States mainland. Aloha uses gates 49-55, and Hawaiian uses gates 55-61.[3] Lobby 2
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