Department of Transportation

Travelers are advised to arrive three hours prior to departure during peak travel times.

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is advising anyone traveling out of Hawaii’s five major airports in Honolulu, Kahului, Lihue, Kona, or Hilo to arrive early, especially if travelling between the peak hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Long lines at security checkpoints have been observed at these airports and passenger volume over the Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends has equaled or exceeded pre-pandemic numbers.

With the 4^th of July holiday falling on Monday, HDOT recommends those catching a flight between the peak hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. should arrive at the airport at least three hours in advance. Major airlines have agreed to make sure ticket counters are open at least three hours before scheduled flights during the busy summer season.

Other recommendations for summer travel include:

Catch a ride to the airport

Public parking is usually in short supply during the summer travel season. More information on public parking and number of available stalls follows:

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport = 5,500 stalls https://airports.hawaii.gov/hnl/getting-to-from/parking/

Kahului Airport = 1,650 stalls https://airports.hawaii.gov/ogg/getting-to-from/parking/

Lihue Airport = 570 stalls https://airports.hawaii.gov/lih/getting-to-from/parking/

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole = 1,450 stalls https://airports.hawaii.gov/koa/getting-to-from/parking/

Hilo International Airport = 475 stalls https://airports.hawaii.gov/ito/getting-to-from/parking/

Masking is optional, but the CDC recommends it

Use of a covering over your nose and mouth is no longer required in indoor public transportation hubs, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends this practice based on available data (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/masks-public-transportation.html).

Review TSA’s videos on preparing carry-ons and other tips

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has created a series of videos to help you before you go through security checkpoints. See https://airports.hawaii.gov/hnl/flights/tsa-travel-tips/ for a collection and link to additional TSA resources.

Recent pictures of security screening lines various Hawaii airports can be found at the links below:

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/HNL-lines-1.jpg

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/HNL-lines-2.png

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/HNL-lines-3.png

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/kahului-lines-1.png

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/Kahului-lines-2.png

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/Kahului-lines-3.png

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/files/2022/06/Kona-lines-1.png

HDOT thanks travelers for their patience with us and each other during this busy summer season. A hui hou to all those departing from our airports!