Kona International Airport (KOA) has open-air gates, and you board by walking across the tarmac and up a short set of stairs. It’s the main airport for the Kona side of the Big Island, or West Hawaiʻi, and handles interisland, mainland, and international flights, about 7 miles north of Kailua-Kona.
If you’re arriving, the next decision is how to reach your hotel: a rental car, the Hele-On bus, a shuttle, or a taxi. The terminal is small and quick to clear, though the open-air waiting area gets hot by mid-afternoon. Pick up a rental car and you can be on the road within minutes of leaving the gate.
About the Kona airport
The terminal is a cluster of open-air pavilions with peaked, tiki-style roofs instead of the long enclosed concourses of a bigger airport. Everything is at ground level, and you walk out to your plane across the tarmac. The open-air gate areas have no air conditioning, though, so the waiting areas get warm in the afternoon sun.
On January 1, 2017 the Kona airport was renamed “Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport” at Keāhole to honor fallen astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who was born and raised in Kona.
Map of the terminals at Kona airport. Image source: hawaii.gov.
The airport’s official site has the current terminal map and live flight status.
Renting a car at Kona airport
Kona is where most flights to the Big Island land, so renting a car at the airport is the easiest way to get moving. The rental counters sit off the terminal now, so you pick up your car from the rental shuttle: catch it at the center median across from baggage claim, where it runs continuously. Most major rental companies operate here, along with a few local outfits.
Compare the local companies’ rates against the majors before you book. Book your car well in advance, because rental cars on the Big Island are limited and sell out fast during big events such as the Ironman Triathlon and the Merrie Monarch Festival.
Getting to and from the Kona airport
Kona International Airport sits about 7 miles north of Kailua-Kona and 25 miles southwest of Waikoloa. You have several ways to reach your first stop:
- Rental car: for most visitors the easiest way to get around.
- Hele-On bus: the county Hele-On bus stops at the airport on several routes linking Kailua-Kona, Waimea, the Kohala resorts, and Hilo. See the county’s airport service page for schedules.
- Shuttle: some hotels run a free airport shuttle. Otherwise, SpeediShuttle runs shared-ride service from the baggage claim area to West Hawaiʻi hotels; book online for a quote for your dates and group.
- Taxi: the airport keeps a current list of taxi and rideshare providers. Taxi fares on the Big Island are high for the distances involved, so use a taxi for the airport run only.
The bus is the cheapest way in and the slowest; a rental car is the most flexible, and on the Big Island it is usually the only practical option for getting around.
Drive times and map of Kona International Airport
Approximate drive times from the Kona airport to popular spots around the island:
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: 3 hrs 15 min
- Kailua-Kona: 15 min
- Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook): 45 min
- Waimea: 1 hr
- Hilo: 2 hrs 15 min
The drive from Kona airport south to Kailua-Kona follows Highway 19, with an inset of downtown Kailua.
Flying into one airport and out of the other
If you have less than a week and want to see both the Kona (west) and Hilo (east) sides of the island, flying into Hilo (ITO) and out of Kona, or the reverse, saves about half a day of backtracking across the island. Our suggested itineraries show how to split a week between the two coasts.
For example: fly into Hilo and spend two days on the rainy east side, move to a Volcano Village vacation rental for two days at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, then finish with three days in Kailua-Kona for the beaches and snorkeling on the dry Kona coast.
Ask when you book whether you can drop the car at the other airport, and what the one-way fee is.
The open-air terminal at Kona International Airport (KOA), with its pavilion roofs and outdoor gates. Photo: Kenneth Lu on Flickr