This often-times unused terminal at HNL remains a glaring example of the inefficiencies within Hawaii’s tourism infrastructure.
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41 thoughts on “$300M HNL Mauka Concourse: Still Terrible After 3 Years”
This often-times unused terminal at HNL remains a glaring example of the inefficiencies within Hawaii’s tourism infrastructure.
Have you had the pleaser of staying the night at Lobby 4 if you missed the last flight from HNL to Lihue? A disgrace to Hawaii, visitors and residents. No aloha within Lobby 4.
I’ve traveled to Hawaii many times from the mainland and I have been frustrated to see that my late or early evening flight is on a concourse where all the restaurants are closed. Now, I just forget about buying any food from the terminal and pick something up from a restaurant or grocery store. That’s better because I can get more options.
The majority of fights Hawaiian operates do a turn and are there for just a few hours. This is so times are reasonable at destination cities. By the late afternoon/evening, there are only a few planes left for the night departures. I believe only Flts 9,5, and the the seasonal 77 from LAX terminate and stay overnight. This is for the overseas flights. All the interisland flights terminate at HNL so the gates should be full by the end of the day.
Food options probably revolve around the peak departure times. It does suck for those travelling off peak though. Just grab a Zip Pac on your way to the airport.
As mentioned by many terminal 1 is a ghost town for at least 14 hours each day
If one wide body jet is parked two adjacent gate are deemed unusable
During Covid shut down for 18 months no improvements were done till second half of 2023
Immigration counters had zero renovation nor the intro island Wiki Wiki. Bus service was updated
Rendering HNL more like a run down 1960’s airport
Complete waste of money. No 24 hour restaurants. Bathrooms only in one area. Complete waste. Need an airport authority that knows airports.
Kona needs a second runway. It was originally planned but cut. Kona needs better terminals and jet ways. More restaurants and fast food.
I flew out of it last month for the first time (usually I’m in T2 or inter-island terminal). I had an earlier flight to LAX and it was dead. Other than my flight, there weren’t any others. It could have been nice, but it’s so plain architecturally, zero ambiance. The palm tree lights throughout could be so cool if they weren’t white. If it’s supposed to be a plan tree, why the heck would you not paint them green? It would also give a cool vibe to the terminal. It all seems like it was built for any small to mid size airport on the mainland. Like you mentioned, the food options are non existent, I went to Starbucks in the interisland terminal. Such a waste of everything (space money, food options, aesthetics).
So very sad to see the new terminal, looks like a scary place, so bare. I was in HNL airport 2 times. Once in 1965 on a Military charter to Okinawa on Continental Airlines, only about 1 hr 20 minutes. The next time in 2010 flight from Tokyo to Seattle stopover HNL. The Second flight I was 6 hours, I saw nothing wrong then. Hope can do something with upgrades, new terminals, you would think with business to HNL, the terminals be more like Singapore style
Costs less for janitorial services if it is empty and the need to hire more airport security is less. The attitude I got from airport staff was to go to work and quickly go home. Somehow IMO supporting tourism in Hawaii is not a top priority or strong suit. Maybe Hawaii just don’t care. The buildings condition and not being kept up plus runway problems tells the whole story.
Just another in the long line of endless Hawaiian government failures…Gov Green and team will only make things worse across the board. Rhetorical question, when do Hawaiian citizens say enough is enough?
The Mauka Concourse is a strange design with a lot of space that could be put to (much) better use. A lot of walking to/from the gates with very little in terms of food and other things. Perhaps HNL could consider adding sleeping pods or some other commercial features that might attract flyers to this concourse. Also, don’t forget the check-in and baggage claim areas related to this concourse — both are among the worst I have ever encountered in the U.S. and beyond. HNL, if you are reading this, how about better signage/information for arriving passengers about where to go to pick-up their luggage?
Why make an airport welcoming if the goal is to cut back on tourism? IMO maybe the HTA just wants to know if it is so inconvenient that it could sway a tourist from traveling elsewhere and disposing of some good hard earned money at another vacation destination. I’m sure glad the HTA can rely on the tourist’s eye’s and ears (comments)in providing answers for all of Hawaii’s future problems. Nobody can be in two places at the same time.
Flying early morning to LAS in May I was amazed at how empty the terminal was. Cavernous misuse of space and resources. Only 3 HA flights were operating from what I could see – To LAS, LAX, and an interisland IIR… Great space, ridiculously poor use of it… Par for the course…
Best Regards…
No suprise to me. Since it involves tourists then Pay a lot and get little in return. Rent has to be super high at the airport because everything you purchase is at least 50% higher priced than example an ABC store. Vendors IMO can’t make any money so why even rent a space. No wonder a corporate Dunkin Doughnut store is the only thing on the new addition. I remember an ABC store asking $1.75 for a 20oz soda and leaving HNL in a vending machine it was $3.50 and that was in 2009. IMO Hawaii has adopted the “Pay a lot and get little in return” type of thinking for years. No wonder hotels, tour companies, restaurants, scenic fees, beach fees, parking and car rentals are all following suit. The apple surely don’t fall far from the tree.
I am a Hawaii resident. They have spent hundreds of millions on the terminals and there are restrooms with only two urinals and 2 toilets.
At an Airport! How stupid is that?!
And people Hate those stupid Dyson all in one sink fixtures. — Another stupid and expensive idea.
Mainland airport restrooms are great. They can’t do anything right here. Idiots in charge that’s why.
Privatization is the only answer for our airport problems. Our Airport Commission has demonstrated their incompetence.