If you are landing on Kauai or picking someone up at Lihue Airport anytime between now and at least October, do not follow your usual routine. Curbside pickup locations have already shifted, part of the airport loop road is closing, and pedestrian routes between terminals are being rerouted. What usually feels simple at smallish Lihue Airport is about to require more attention.
This is not a short adjustment. The changes roll out in phases and stretch through summer 2026. For an airport that already backs up during peak mainland arrival windows, including today when we were there, especially mid to late afternoon, compressing traffic into fewer access points will be noticeable.
This is happening because Lihue has posted the strongest airlift growth of any Hawaii airport in our recent capacity analysis, with nearly 6% year-over-year seat growth. More seats mean more arriving passengers feeding into the same curbs and roadway system.
All pickups move to baggage claim B for now.
Starting today, the Baggage Claim A curb is closed to all vehicles. That includes private cars, hotel shuttles, taxis, and rideshares. Every pickup is being funneled to Baggage Claim B.
If you are arriving and texting your ride, be sure to tell them to go to B. If you are driving in to meet family, skip A and head directly to B. If you are calling a rideshare, expect the app map to look familiar, but know that only one side of the terminal is operating for curbside pickup during this phase.
This first phase is expected to run through about June 15. After that, the arrangement reverses. Baggage Claim B will close, and all pickups will shift back to Baggage Claim A for the second phase, which is also expected to last about four months.
The construction includes pavement resurfacing, new curbing, fresh lane markings, updated signage, and ADA accessibility upgrades. Those improvements are needed. The short-term effect is that every arriving passenger and every vehicle trying to reach them will be concentrated into a single curb area at a time.
At a small airport like Lihue, that compression of activity is certain to add up quickly.
A Mokulele Loop road closure begins February 23.
There is a second disruption that’s starting later this week. Beginning February 23 and running through July 31, a portion of Mokulele Loop that connects to Ahukini Road will be closed. Traffic on that segment will be detoured to Ahukini Road via the Mokulele Loop airport exit.
HDOT is also installing a temporary pedestrian walkway with barricades between the Main Terminal and the Cargo and Commuter Terminals. We did not see that as of this afternoon. Lihue’s compact layout usually makes it easy to walk between areas, but once barricades and temporary corridors are added, the flow can become much less intuitive, especially for visitors unfamiliar with the airport.
Lihue is growing even while under construction.
We have been tracking Lihue’s broader runway and infrastructure work for years. Pavement ages, markings fade, and accessibility upgrades still need to occur. But when you combine rising passenger counts with phased curb closures and road detours, the arrival and departure experience is very likely going to become more complicated.
Lihue has always had one big advantage over the other Hawaii airports. It still usually feels manageable. You step off the plane, collect your bag, walk outside, and within minutes, you are in your rental car, or have retrieved your parked car, and are heading north or south.
Even small slowdowns can cascade during the afternoon bank of mainland arrivals, as was the case today, when several flights landed within a short window, and hundreds of passengers exit into the same pickup zone, while others are approaching the airport for departure.
What to do before you arrive.
For now, plan on Baggage Claim B for all pickups. Tell your driver. If you are the driver, double-check with your arriving passenger to avoid circling the wrong curb.
Lihue remains a small and easily accessible airport, and that generally works in its favor. During phased construction, patience and clear communication go a long way. If you are visiting Kauai in the coming months, a quick heads-up about which baggage claim to use could save you a long loop around the terminal.
Have you noticed congestion building at Lihue during peak arrivals lately, or does it still felt manageable to you?
Beat of Hawaii © photo at Lihue Airport 2/18/26 showing Baggage Claim A closed.
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Does this only affect the roads or will the associated baggage claims be affected too?
Hi Johannesl.
The baggage claims are not impacted at least thus far.
Aloha.
Amazing. These long term closures or modifications for painting curb lines or dealing with a walkway. Where I live parking lots are repainted in a day and a sidewalk repair or reroute might take a week. What’s the problem. Meeting after meeting to discuss the funding or nobody is available to complete the job? Oh I know I forgot it’s on Hawaii Time. Slow and relaxed. Nobody is in a rush or hurry to complete anything. No wonder there are so many abandoned cars,dirty restrooms, worn out trails, and dead grass in Waikiki that needs to be attended to.