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 Kauaʻi County, Hawaii, United States, two nautical miles east of the center of the CDP.[1][3]
Lihue Airport Kahua Mokulele o Līhuʻe | |||||||||||||||
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 Runway 03/21 and the passenger terminal in background; fire station in foreground | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Hawaii Department of Transportation | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Kauaʻi | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Lihue, Hawaii | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 153 ft / 47 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°58′34″N 159°20′20″W / 21.97611°N 159.33889°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | hawaii | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Lihue Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Helipads | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||
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| Source: Federal Aviation Administration,[1][2] | |||||||||||||||
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. 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. In a deleted scene of the film Lilo & Stitch; Stitch, Nani, Jumba, and Pleakley hijacked a Boeing 747 jet from this airport, scraping against buildings through downtown Honolulu. After the September 11 attacks, with only a few weeks left in production, the climax was completely reworked to have them use Jumba's spacecraft, and through the Kauaʻi mountains.[4]
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.[5]
Facilities and aircraft
editLihue 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][6]
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.[7]
In July 2024, major construction related to the relocation of Runway 03/21 to comply with federal safety standards began. This includes displacing Runway 03/21 455 feet to the west and extending the end of the runway by 855 feet. Improvements to taxiways, Runway 17/35, and modernizing LED runway and taxiway signage are also part of the project. It is expected to be completed in December 2026.[8]
Lihue Airport
Lihue Airport Concourse
Lihue Airport Holdroom
Lihue Airport Baggage Claim
Airlines and destinations
editAs of May 8, 2026[update]
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| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | Portland (OR),[9] San Diego,[10] San Francisco,[11] San Jose (CA) (ends June 10, 2026),[12] Seattle/Tacoma[13] |
| American Airlines | Los Angeles,[14] Phoenix–Sky Harbor[15] |
| Delta Air Lines | Los Angeles,[14] Seattle/Tacoma[13] |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Honolulu,[16] Kahului,[17] Kailua-Kona,[18] Los Angeles,[14] Oakland,[19] Sacramento,[20] San Jose (CA) (begins June 10, 2026)[21] |
| Southwest Airlines | Honolulu,[22] Kahului,[22] Las Vegas,[22] Oakland[22] Seasonal: Los Angeles[22] |
| United Airlines | Denver,[23] Los Angeles,[14] San Francisco[23] |
| WestJet | Seasonal: Vancouver[24] |
Statistics
editPassenger numbers
editTop domestic destinations
edit| Rank | City | Passengers | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honolulu, HI | 775,470 | Hawaiian, Southwest |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | 239,620 | American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, United |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | 156,530 | Alaska, Delta |
| 4 | Kahului, HI | 129,090 | Hawaiian, Southwest |
| 6 | Oakland, CA | 112,130 | Hawaiian, Southwest |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | 77,820 | Alaska, United |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | 66,030 | American |
| 8 | Denver, CO | 60,620 | United |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | 56,620 | Southwest |
| 10 | Kona, HI | 34,000 | Hawaiian |
Airline market share
edit| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaiian Airlines | 1,742,000 | 48.68% |
| 2 | Southwest Airlines | 655,000 | 18.31% |
| 3 | United Airlines | 381,000 | 10.65% |
| 4 | Alaska Airlines | 310,000 | 8.66% |
| 5 | American Airlines | 251,000 | 7.02% |
| 6 | Other | 239,000 | 6.68% |
Public transport
editThe Kauaʻi Bus route 100/200 connects the airport to downtown Lihue.
Accidents and incidents
edit- On January 14, 2008, an Alpine Air Express Beechcraft 1900C-1 carrying 4,200 lbs. of mail crashed 11 km S of Lihue Airport due to spatial disorientation and loss of situational awareness in darkness, along with monitoring cockpit instruments and an aircraft ahead. The sole occupant, the pilot, was killed.[27]
- On December 15, 2022, a Beechcraft Model 77 Skipper belonging to the Civil Air Patrol crashed into a chain link fence shortly after takeoff. The pilot and his young son suffered non-life threatening injuries.[28]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 FAA Airport Form 5010 for LIH PDF, effective January 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Hawaii State DOT Airport Data". hidot.hawaii.gov. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Lihue CDP, Hawaii Archived 2011-11-19 at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009.
- ↑ Renfro, Kim. "Disney's 'Lilo and Stitch' originally included an airplane crash scene that was cut after 9/11". Business Insider. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
- ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ↑ "LIH airport at skyvector.com". Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Our Airport Premier Clubs". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ↑ "Hawaii Department of Transportation Airfield Airports Projects". LIH Relocate Runway. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ↑ "Alaska Airlines adding 4 new non-stop flights out of PDX". KATU. October 27, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Nonstop Destinations". San Diego International Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ Cummings, Steve (October 26, 2025). "Alaska Airlines Expands Hawaii Network With New Routes and Enhanced Service". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Alaska Airlines". San Jose Mineta International Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "Nonstop Domestic Routes". Port of Seattle. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Kauai Is Getting 20% More Flights While Honolulu Loses Them". Beat of Hawaii. October 27, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Where We Fly". Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Flights from Lihue to Honolulu". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Flights from Lihue to Kahului". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Flights from Lihue to Kona". Hawaiian Airlines. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Where We Fly | Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport". Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Hawaiian Airlines to add new nonstop flights to Lihue and Kona from Sacramento". KCRA. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ↑ "Hawaiian And Alaska Are Quietly Swapping Routes. Here's What It Really Means". Beat of Hawaii. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Southwest Routes List". Southwest Airlines. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "United Airlines Says Aloha to More Hawaii, Increases Service to 40 Daily Flights". United Airlines. June 13, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ Shepert, Elana (June 10, 2021). "Here's how WestJet will ramp up its Vancouver flights to Hawaii this year". Vancouver is Awesome. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic)- U.S. Carriers". BTS, Transportation Statistics. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ↑ "Lihue, HI: Lihue Airport (LIH) Scheduled Services except Freight/Mail". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Accident description for N410UB at Aviation Safety Network". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ↑ "Plane lost power before Līhu'e Airport crash". Kauai News Now.
External links
edit
- Lihue Airport at Hawaii Department of Transportation
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 14, 2026
- FAA Terminal Procedures for LIH, effective May 14, 2026
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for LIH
- AirNav airport information for PHLI
- ASN accident history for LIH
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations for PHLI
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for LIH
