$300M HNL Mauka Concourse: Still Terrible After 3 Years

It was just a year ago we last reported on the disappointing state of Honolulu Airport’s Terminal 1 Mauka Concourse, a project that cost well over $300 million, and counting. Our recent visit this week, exactly a year later, was to see what had hopefully changed for the better. It revealed, however, that not much has happened, and unfortunately, the situation has worsened for visitors and apparently financially for the airport.

After spending a third of a billion dollars on construction and incurring ongoing costs to maintain, air condition, and staff this often-underused terminal, it remains a glaring example of the inefficiencies within Hawaii’s disappointing infrastructure projects.

Honolulu continues to rank among the worst airports in the U.S.

As reported in our previous article, “Hawaii Airports Rank Worst in US After Billions Spent,” HNL continues to struggle with operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction despite significant investments. This poor ranking further highlights the broader issues within Hawaii’s airport infrastructure and raises questions about the expenditure’s effectiveness in improving the Hawaii visitor travel experience.

Furthermore, in a time of contracting Hawaii visitors and flights, this stands out as a huge waste of money that might have been better spent on upgrading the existing airport facilities.

Despite the significant investments into modernization, such as the Mauka Concourse, Honolulu and other Hawaii airports continue to rank poorly in the JD Power survey of US airports.

Many commenters on Beat of Hawaii have echoed these sentiments.

For instance, Norvin emphasized that airport improvement should be a priority given Hawaii’s reliance on tourism, including the outdated infrastructure at the neighbor island airports like Lihue, Kona, and Hilo.

Others, like Kenish, described HNL as one of the most dysfunctional airports, highlighting issues like poor curbside column numbering and inefficient design. Airlines have told us off-the-record, that they concur about the design problems that render Hawaii airports highly ineffective.

Some commenters, such as Don, criticized the design of the new terminal, pointing out its impractical layout and lack of amenities, while others emphasized the need for better maintenance and cleanliness at Hawaii airports.

Still, others have pointed out the huge missed opportunity to highlight the best of Hawaii in this new terminal, which might include Hawaii food offerings and shopping. Duncan Donuts vs. Malasadas were one example given.

These comments underline a widespread dissatisfaction with the current state of Hawaii’s airports and a call for more effective management and thoughtful planning to enhance the traveler experience.

How big a role does the lack of a Hawaii Airport Authority play?

As reported in our previous article “Hawaii Airports In Disarray: New Appointment, Same Critical Systemic Failures”, Hawaii remains one of only three states in the U.S. without an independent airport authority. Stakeholders widely see this lack of independent management as a major barrier to effective operation and accountability.

Many commenters have expressed frustration with the outdated infrastructure and inefficiencies throughout Hawaii airports, pointing out that creating an independent airport authority is crucial for improving all aspects of airport performance.

This sentiment was echoed in user comments emphasizing the need for dedicated, professional management to address the systemic issues plaguing Hawaii’s airports, including lack of proper maintenance and unexpected and painfully long maintenance outages.

Hawaiian Airlines and Terminal Usage.

Terminal 1 was purpose-built for Hawaiian Airlines. Our visit on July 3rd (2024) showed a terminal virtually devoid of use. Hawaiian Airlines operates very few flights departing from this terminal. For instance, only Gate A12 was active during our afternoon visit, which had just boarded an international flight to Pago Pago, American Samoa.

The next flight wasn’t to be until 7 PM, to Salt Lake City, followed by an 8:20 PM departure to Los Angeles. Aside from these, the terminal appeared to remain unused for departures for the rest of the day.

As far as we can tell, Hawaiian Airlines international flights cannot arrive at that terminal, as US Customs and Immigration is located in Terminal 2. Busing passengers between terminals would make it possible, but we are unaware of any such plans or even the need for them.

Facilities and amenities are shockingly lacking.

The terminal’s facilities are severely deficient, contributing to its sometimes ghost-town atmosphere. Here’s what we found.

Restaurants and Bars:

There is one restaurant and a bar in the terminal, both of which were deserted. The restaurant’s menu was unappealing, and online reviews were equally discouraging.

There is a Dunkin’ Donuts, which was closed during our visit, and a small grab-and-go facility attached to the restaurant. While we intended to eat at the restaurant there, with the few choices offered, we reverted to otherwise not exciting Starbucks food options in the inter-island terminal.

Seating and Comfort:

The terminal’s main lobby is enormously large! Yet, it features only one row of seats along one wall, which we have captured in BOH’s lead photo above.

Access to Food:

If you want food, besides the dismal choices already mentioned, you must walk back to the old interisland terminal. There, you’ll find a Burger King, Starbucks, and other options. However, these start to close very early, and for the evening flights, your choices will be next to nothing. By 6 PM, only Starbucks and Burger King remained open in that distant interisland terminal.

Reflecting on the comments from our previous article, many of our readers expressed their frustrations and disappointment with the terminal. Here are a few notable ones:

User Feedback about the terminal:

One reader mentioned, “I travel frequently through HNL, and Terminal 1 feels like a ghost town. It’s baffling how much money was spent for so little utility.”

HNL Mauka Concourse amenities critique:

Another comment highlighted, “The lack of dining options and closed facilities make long layovers unbearable. The state needs to address these issues urgently.”

Operational Concerns:

A frequent commenter noted, “Despite being Hawaiian Airlines’ terminal, it rarely feels like it. Most flights still operate out of the other terminals, making Terminal 1 seem like a costly afterthought.”

Lack of Local Flavor:

Surprisingly, there are no shops or local vendors in the terminal. Many of our readers previously suggested that Terminal 1 could have embraced Hawaii’s rich culture by featuring local-themed vendors and selling Hawaiian delicacies instead of a mainland chain like Dunkin Donuts, which, by the way, was closed.

A frustrated traveler added, “Why isn’t there a malasada shop or local Hawaiian food? It feels like a missed opportunity to showcase our culture to visitors.”

These comments underscore the general sentiment of disappointment and frustration among travelers who expected much more from such a significant airport investment like this one.

The long-delayed Mauka Concourse was completed three years ago.

After years of problems, the state airports division broke ground on the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1 on May 30, 2018, and completed construction on August 26, 2021. The first concourse expansion at HNL since 1995, the new concourse includes gates that can accommodate wide-body jets, and was thus intended to reduce the need for Hawaiian Airlines passengers to walk between Terminals 1 and 2 for overseas arrivals and departures, while freeing up remaining gate space in Terminal 2 for other airlines.

Honolulu Airport’s Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1 continues to disappoint.

The state of the Mauka Concourse continues to raise questions about the allocation and utilization of funds for Hawaii’s infrastructure. Despite the initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs, the terminal remains underused and poorly equipped to serve travelers. This situation is not just a disappointment for travelers but also a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Hawaii’s infrastructure projects.

We will continue to monitor and report on the developments of the Mauka Concourse, hoping for future steps to improve the situation. For now, we advise travelers to be prepared for a sorely lackluster experience at this terminal.

We invite you to share your experiences and thoughts about Mauka Concourse Terminal 1 in the comments below. Your feedback helps us understand the broader impact and keeps the conversation going about the improvements needed.