Hawaii airport codes: HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA and ITO explained
There is no single airport code for the State of Hawaiʻi. The code you need depends on the island: HNL for Honolulu on Oʻahu, OGG for Maui, LIH for Kauaʻi, and KOA or ITO for the Island of Hawaiʻi.
Airport-Guides.org is not the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, an airport, airline, TSA, USDA or transportation operator. Airport codes are stable, but flight status, airline counters, parking availability, checkpoint operation and transportation schedules can change. Confirm travel-day details with the airport and operating airline.
What is the airport code for Hawaii?
Hawaii does not have one statewide airport code. Hawaiʻi is an island state with several passenger airports. The three-letter code depends on the island and airport you are actually flying to.
Airport live checks & travel tools
Use current local conditions, official live-status links and planning calculators before you travel. Airline gate, terminal and flight times can change; your carrier remains the final source for flight-specific details.
Live flight center
Check the airport's official flight board, then confirm any last-minute gate or timing change with the airline.
Current airport-area weather
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Quick official checks
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When should I reach the airport?
A planning estimate based on flight type and common time buffers. Always increase the buffer for severe weather, major holidays, unusual airport alerts or airline instructions.
Connection-risk checker
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Parking cost estimator
Uses the airport-specific rates stored in this article's configuration. Rates can change; verify availability and final pricing on the official parking page before driving in.
Passenger pickup readiness
Landing time is not curb-ready time. Add time for taxiing, deplaning, baggage claim, customs when applicable and walking to the correct pickup zone.
If someone casually says “Hawaii airport code” and means Honolulu or the state’s largest airport, the answer is usually HNL for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Oʻahu. HNL was formerly known as Honolulu International Airport and remains the major gateway for Oʻahu.
Honolulu
Kahului
Līhuʻe
Kona / west side
Hilo / east side
Main Hawaii airport codes and which island they serve
For most vacation and interisland planning, these are the five Hawaiʻi airport codes travelers encounter most often. Match the code to your lodging island before paying for flights, rental cars or transfers.
| IATA | Airport | Island / area | ICAO | Typical traveler use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HNL | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport | Honolulu · Oʻahu | PHNL | Main airport for Honolulu, Waikīkī and most Oʻahu trips; major interisland and international gateway. |
| OGG | Kahului Airport | Maui | PHOG | Primary commercial airport for most Maui visitors. |
| LIH | Līhuʻe Airport | Kauaʻi | PHLI | Primary passenger airport for Kauaʻi. |
| KOA | Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole | West Hawaiʻi Island | PHKO | Useful for Kona, Kohala and many west-side Hawaiʻi Island resorts. |
| ITO | Hilo International Airport | East Hawaiʻi Island | PHTO | Hilo and the east side of the Island of Hawaiʻi. |
Which Hawaii airport code should you book for each island?
The safest way to choose a Hawaiʻi airport is to start with the island where you will sleep on your first night. Then match that island to the airport, instead of searching for a generic “Hawaii airport.”
Oʻahu Honolulu
Use HNL for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. It is in Honolulu and is the state’s largest airport.
Maui Valley Isle
Use OGG for Kahului Airport for most Maui trips. Maui also has smaller airports at Kapalua and Hāna, but they are not replacements for OGG on every itinerary.
Kauaʻi Garden Isle
Use LIH for Līhuʻe Airport, the primary airport on Kauaʻi. Port Allen Airport also appears in the state airport system but is not a substitute for LIH for normal airline booking.
Hawaiʻi Island Big Island
The Island of Hawaiʻi has two airport codes that matter most to visitors: KOA on the west side and ITO at Hilo on the east side.
Molokaʻi Smaller airports
Molokaʻi Airport uses MKK. Kalaupapa Airport uses LUP. Airline schedules and access needs should be checked before planning around smaller airports.
Lānaʻi Island airport
Lānaʻi Airport uses LNY. Check the operating airline and current schedule before building a connection around a smaller-island flight.
Hawaii airport-code checker
Enter a three-letter Hawaiʻi airport code to identify the airport and island. This tool uses a fixed reference list; it does not retrieve live flight, gate or schedule data.
Try HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA, ITO, JHM, HNM, LNY, MKK, LUP, HDH, JRF, PAK, UPP or MUE.
The result will show the airport and island so you can compare it with your booking.
Always confirm your ticket with the operating airline before travel.KOA vs ITO: the two major airport codes on Hawaiʻi Island
The name “Hawaii” creates a special source of confusion because it refers both to the state and to the Island of Hawaiʻi, commonly called the Big Island. If your lodging is on Hawaiʻi Island, your likely airport is KOA or ITO—not HNL.
Kona / west side
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole is the primary airport on the Island of Hawaiʻi and is located in West Hawaiʻi. The official airport site places it about seven miles northwest of Kailua-Kona.
Think KOA when: your trip is centered around Kailua-Kona, the Kona Coast, Waikoloa or other west-side destinations.
Official KOA airport ↗Hilo / east side
Hilo International Airport is on the east side of the Island of Hawaiʻi, about two miles east of Hilo. The official airport site describes ITO as an interisland passenger airport.
Think ITO when: your trip is centered around Hilo or the eastern side of Hawaiʻi Island.
Official ITO airport ↗Hawaii airport codes by island: state airport-system list
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Airports Division lists airports across Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi and the Island of Hawaiʻi. Not every airport below has the same level of scheduled passenger service, so do not treat every code as an interchangeable vacation gateway.
| Island | Airport | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Oʻahu | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport | HNL |
| Oʻahu | Kawaihāpai Airfield | HDH |
| Oʻahu | Kalaeloa Airport | JRF |
| Kauaʻi | Līhuʻe Airport | LIH |
| Kauaʻi | Port Allen Airport | PAK |
| Maui | Kahului Airport | OGG |
| Maui | Kapalua Airport | JHM |
| Maui | Hāna Airport | HNM |
| Molokaʻi | Molokaʻi Airport | MKK |
| Molokaʻi | Kalaupapa Airport | LUP |
| Lānaʻi | Lānaʻi Airport | LNY |
| Hawaiʻi | Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole | KOA |
| Hawaiʻi | Hilo International Airport | ITO |
| Hawaiʻi | Waimea-Kohala Airport | MUE |
| Hawaiʻi | Upolu Airport | UPP |
Four checks before booking a Hawaii flight
Confirm the island
Match your lodging address to Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, Molokaʻi or Lānaʻi.
Match the airport code
Read the airport name and three-letter code together. Do not rely on the word “Hawaii” alone.
Check the operating airline
Codeshare tickets may show more than one airline name. The operating carrier controls flight-specific check-in and baggage instructions.
Check ground travel
Compare the airport with your hotel or rental-car pickup before payment. Correct island does not always mean shortest ground trip.
Agriculture inspection: the airport step mainland travelers can miss
Hawaiʻi has agricultural inspection procedures that differ from a typical mainland U.S. airport trip. Travelers arriving with plants, animals or agricultural materials may have declaration requirements, while passengers departing Hawaiʻi for the continental United States are subject to U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection requirements for baggage and agricultural products.
Arriving in Hawaiʻi
If you carry plants, animals or other agricultural materials, review Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture requirements before travel. Do not assume an item allowed on an ordinary domestic flight can automatically enter Hawaiʻi.
Flying to the mainland
Mainland-bound baggage is subject to agricultural inspection. Procedures can vary by airport, so follow signs and current airport instructions before check-in and security.
Keep inspection in mind
Food, flowers, leis, plants and similar items can require extra attention. Keep questionable agricultural items accessible and ask inspectors instead of guessing.
Ground transportation differs by Hawaii airport
Do not assume every island airport has the same bus, rideshare or rental-car setup. Hawaiʻi DOT publishes airport-specific transportation information, and the practical choice depends heavily on the island.
| Airport | Officially listed options | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| HNL · Oʻahu | Car, pre-arranged transportation, rideshare, on-demand shuttle, taxi and TheBus. | Check the correct pickup area for your transport type and terminal. |
| OGG · Maui | Car, shuttle, taxi and public transit. | Resort areas can be well beyond Kahului, so compare transfer time with your lodging location. |
| LIH · Kauaʻi | Car, taxi, shuttle, courtesy buses and Kauaʻi County bus. | Check current bus schedules and luggage rules before relying on transit. |
| KOA · Hawaiʻi Island | Car, taxi, shuttle and limited Hele-On bus service. | The official airport page describes Hele-On service as very limited, so verify the current timetable before travel. |
| ITO · Hawaiʻi Island | Car, taxi and Hele-On public transit. | Choose ITO because it fits your destination, not because it appears close to KOA on a statewide map. |
IATA, FAA and ICAO codes: what a traveler actually needs
Use for passenger travel
The three-letter IATA code is the one most travelers need for airline searches, reservations, boarding passes and baggage tags.
Examples: HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA and ITO.
U.S. aviation identifier
FAA location identifiers are used in U.S. aviation systems. At major Hawaiʻi passenger airports, the familiar three-letter identifier may match the IATA code, but the systems are conceptually different.
Used in aviation operations
ICAO airport codes are four letters. Examples include PHNL for Honolulu and PHOG for Kahului. Ordinary airline passengers normally search with HNL or OGG instead.
Check the airport code on your baggage tag
Your baggage claim tag shows the airport code associated with the bag’s routing. If your final destination is Kauaʻi, for example, the final destination should normally identify LIH rather than HNL simply because you connect through Honolulu.
When checking luggage on a multi-flight itinerary, confirm the final destination code with the airline agent before the bag leaves the counter. Whether a bag can be checked through depends on the itinerary, operating carriers and ticket arrangement.
More airport-code help on Airport-Guides.org
Use the statewide page to choose the right island, then move to an airport-specific guide when you need terminal, parking, agriculture, pickup or transportation details.
Hawaii airport code FAQs
What is the main Hawaii airport code?
If you mean the state’s largest airport and the main airport for Honolulu on Oʻahu, the code is HNL for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Hawaiʻi as a whole does not have one airport code.
What is the Honolulu Hawaii airport code?
The Honolulu airport code is HNL. It identifies Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, formerly known as Honolulu International Airport.
What is the Maui airport code?
The main Maui airport code is OGG for Kahului Airport. Maui also has smaller airports at Kapalua (JHM) and Hāna (HNM).
What is the Kauai airport code?
The main Kauaʻi airport code is LIH for Līhuʻe Airport.
What is the Big Island Hawaii airport code?
The Island of Hawaiʻi has two major passenger airport codes: KOA for Kona on the west side and ITO for Hilo on the east side. Choose according to your destination on the island.
Is HNL the airport code for all of Hawaii?
No. HNL is the code for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Oʻahu. Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island use different airport codes.
Is OGG on the Big Island?
No. OGG is Kahului Airport on Maui. The main Big Island codes are KOA for Kona and ITO for Hilo.
Is KOA the same airport as HNL?
No. KOA is Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole on the Island of Hawaiʻi. HNL is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Oʻahu.
Which Hawaii airport code should I use for Waikiki?
Use HNL for a trip centered on Waikīkī because Waikīkī is on Oʻahu and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is the main passenger airport serving Honolulu.
Do Hawaii airports have agriculture inspection?
Hawaiʻi has special agricultural controls. Mainland-bound baggage and agricultural products can be subject to USDA inspection, while travelers arriving with plants, animals or agricultural materials should review Hawaiʻi entry requirements. Check the official guidance for your specific airport before travel.
Official sources for Hawaii airport codes and travel information
Airport codes are relatively stable, but airport operations are not. Use these primary sources to verify the decision you are making on travel day.