The quintessential Reef Honolulu Airport runway is about to have another birthday. The 12,000 foot airstrip, seemingly the longest of HNL’s runways, was completed nearly 45 years ago in late 1977 at a cost of $81 million. It was the first major airport runway to be built completely offshore on underwater coral. The runway at Honolulu International Airport also became a designated alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle.
The Reef Honolulu Airport runway (designated as 8R/26L) was first planned in the early 1960’s and took nearly two decades to complete. This type of environmentally sensitive project would never be approved of in today’s environment.
Current repair work taking place on Honolulu Runways 4R and 4L reminded us of the Reef.
In large part the idea for the reef runway was to mitigate noise from large jets flying over Honolulu. At most times, departures are over the ocean rather than over land. Thus, it provides aircraft pilots with additional ingress and egress directed away from the city’s population along with great visibility.
In actuality, as Stan pointed out to us, “while the Reef Runway at 12,000 feet is impressively long, it is not the longest runway at HNL. 8L is a smidgen longer at 12,312 and is jointly owned by the military and the State Airport.”
The Reef Honolulu Airport runway is something hard to miss.
On arrival, you’ll typically see it out the right side of the plane before making the sharp, final, right turn just before landing. On departure, the reef is quite far from the terminals, so you’ll notice an extended taxi time of up to 15 minutes. When you reach the runway, you’ll see it out on the left side of the plane. Great views and photo opportunities are afforded when using the Reef runway.
There are those rare times, too, during what we often term “Kona” conditions, when you’ll have even more unique views, as you approach and depart the reef from opposite ends. We’ve had that experience only a few times in decades of Honolulu flights.
The reef runway consists of nearly 20 million cubic yards of material brought in via hydraulic pumping from offshore. An additional 16 million pounds of stone were used to protect the runway from the bordering Pacific Ocean.
There’s something about the reef runway that’s incomparable.
When your flight taxis out to the reef, you always know that you’re in for a unique Hawaii treat. And following the aircraft’s take-off, even more so.
Do you have a special feeling about the reef runway like we do?
Beat of Hawaii friend Keoki said: As a student pilot in the late ’70s … I was always excited to fly into HNL…. I have flown into and from 8R (the reef runway). In a plane going 70-80 mph I felt like I was landing on the world’s biggest aircraft carrier!
Beat of Hawaii lead photo: Landing on reef runway in a legacy Island Air De Havilland Canada Dash 8.
See UAL reef runway take off video.
While frequented more by Hawaiian Airlines than anyone else, you’ll see a large number of take-offs and landing on the reef runway, including flights to as far away as New York (in the United Airlines video), somewhere in the middle such as San Francisco or Los Angeles, or as close by as Kahului Airport Maui, or Hoolehua or Kalaupapa Airport on Molokai.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Can go their and swim
Ya, so your “reef runway” is so
like, extra cool?!?! -Well, – , – ,
I’d hafta agree. . . . Butt,, Y
do flts from mainland cruise
over E Oahu, whip a quickie right
180, an cruise down to 8L rather
than cruise in W of Aulani, turn E,
an go straight in?? Haw? Doya kno?
Well, haw, doya?!?!
Love ❤️ the site, muy mahalo’s.
The Honolulu reef runway was/is an atrocious Project. Poorly designed and never met expectations. Built for one reason … federal money was available. Spend it or lose it. Ditto H3. Ditto Hart. Daniel Inouye brought those funds to Hawaii. Yea! And we totally wasted them.
Aloha Everyone,
Mahalo for your article it’s just Wonderful and
Great video,
It’s always an extremely bittersweet departure for me, sweet..is I just love to fly TO/Landing oh love it, but bitter part-because I’m leaving home!
I worked at HNL on Ramp for Dynair in 93/95 what a great bunch of friends to work with!! Gary, Ed, Lee, Mike, Danny, Ho, Arms (his name for a reason lol)..I Love and Miss you all ever so much and you guys-my Ohana are always on my mind!and I should never have left!!
Hi John.
Thanks for that and for your input here and on many other posts. We appreciate it.
Aloha.
First trip out there, 1958 on a DC6B from LAX. Back to the islands many times since but HNL only twice. Happiest people on earth, those arriving. Saddest? Those leaving. A beautiful sight landing there, looking down on Pearl Harbor and Ford Island.
BOE,
Thanks for the video!
It’s embarrassing – for all the decades I’ve been coming to HNL I couldn’t tell you if I landed or took off from the Reef Runway!
Any idea as to what percentage of T/Os and landings use that runway.
Hi Rod.
Thank you. No idea about percentages. It seems to vary a lot, but it’s used a great deal. It never disappoints.
Aloha.
Thank you, BOE.
I’ll pay more attention next time!
I totally agree with this whether interisland or mainland bound. Back before they caught on we would get coach seats for Chicago and upgrade to 1st class (just one upgrade) Then we’d fly upstairs on a 747 and with the mileage and the 1st class bonus we’d earn another upgrade each direction. Seeing the coral runway meant we were home, especially with the sharp turn which always made the wife nervous.
Hi MJ.
Yes that final big turn before pearl harbor and landing. Exciting to this day.
Aloha.
Have always enjoyed it as well. Remember when it first opened and landing on it as a boy in the 70s. Definitely knew your were somewhere special.
Aloha and mahalo for the memories guys
Hi Chris.
Thanks. Concur with your feelings about that. Who knew you could be sentimental about a runway.
Aloha.
I didn’t know the runway had a name but I will never forget it now. 3.5 weeks and hopefully that will be my view. No I’m not counting the days at all.
Hi Starla.
Come on down!
Aloha.
I was also a student pilot in late ’70s, with Hawaii Country Club of the Air’. I flew out of KOA, and after sign-off for unsupervised solo, I started working for my school one day a week. I got to ferry single engine airplanes back and forth for maintenance at HNL, not much pay, but free flying!
I didn’t often get the reef, but it was always fun, and a l-o-n-g taxi from the GA north ramp, most fun was Touch & goes on Ford isl. which was still open then, but that’s another story!
Mahalo
Hi George
Thanks. We appreciate hearing from fellow aviation aficionados.
Aloha.
Seeing the reef is an absolutely special feeling of being connected to the ocean and its creatures so deeply! I especially enjoy the sense of unique perspective available to us, humans. Although, perhaps the honus watch airplanes and think of them as gliding fishes of the skies. Thanks for the article.
Hi Kat.
Thanks. Glad to hear you resonate with the reef as we do.
Aloha.
Taking off at night on the reef runway at night was a real visual experience if you were on the left side of the aircraft. Honolulu at night can be amazing on a clear night.
I usually book an A seat for that view, day or night!
While the Reef Runway at 12,000 feet is impressively long, it is not the longest runway at HNL. 8L is a smidgen longer at 12,312 and is jointly owned by the military and the State Airport.
Hi Stan.
We appreciate that and added it to the post with a hat tip.
Aloha.