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Published Sep 9, 2026
Hilo International Airport (ITO) is the primary air hub for eastern Hawaiʻi Island, linking the Hilo, Puna, Hāmākua and Kaʻū districts with destinations across the Hawaiian Islands and select U.S. mainland cities through several partner airlines.
How many passengers pass through Hilo International Airport each year?
Hilo International Airport handles more than 1.4 million passengers annually.
- The airport served approximately 1.47 million passengers in 2025, a 2.8% increase from 1.43 million in 2024.
- In 2019, passenger volume was 1.24 million, before pandemic-related declines.
- In 2020, traffic dropped to 489,286 passengers (a 60.5% decrease).
- Volume recovered to 760,307 in 2021, 1.33 million in 2022 and 1.43 million in 2023.
What is the total number of aircraft operations at Hilo International Airport each year?
Hilo International Airport sees over 35,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings per year.
- In 2025, total aircraft movements were 36,232, down from 39,553 movements in 2024.
- In 2019, there were approximately 59,620 operations.
- Activity fell to 25,891 in 2020 during the pandemic.
- Recovery followed with 36,526 in 2021, 47,029 in 2022 and 45,573 in 2023.
Which airlines operate the most flights out of Hilo International Airport?
Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines operate all scheduled commercial flights at Hilo International Airport.
- In 2025, Hawaiian Airlines carried 70.6% of passengers, operating all major inter-island routes and select mainland flights.
- Southwest Airlines accounted for 29.4%, offering inter-island service after launching operations in late 2023.
What are the monthly trends in passenger traffic at Hilo International Airport?
Passenger volume at Hilo International Airport shows seasonal shifts, with summer and spring months driving the highest traffic.
- July 2025 was the busiest month, with 140,329 passengers.
- June saw 130,077 passengers and March recorded 128,558, indicating strong spring and early summer demand.
- December reached 127,571 due to holiday travel.
- September was the slowest month with 108,742 passengers, followed by February with 110,290.
How many routes are there at Hilo International Airport?
The airport serves approximately 6 to 8 nonstop destinations, primarily focused on inter-island service.
- Key routes include Hilo to Honolulu, Kahului, Kona and Līhuʻe.
- Limited seasonal routes connect to West Coast cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- Most mainland or international travel connects through Honolulu.
Which destinations are the most popular from Hilo International Airport?
The Honolulu route is the busiest and acts as the main connection point for onward travel.
- In 2025, Honolulu (HNL) served 669,080 passengers.
- Kahului (OGG) followed with 34,230 passengers.
How much cargo does Hilo International Airport handle annually?
Hilo International Airport handles moderate levels of air freight, supporting local agriculture, mail services, and inter-island cargo operations.
- The airport handled 33.15 million pounds of cargo in 2025, showing a slight recovery compared to recent years.
- Cargo volumes reached 55.49 million pounds in 2019 before declining to 49.57 million pounds in 2020 and 47.67 million pounds in 2021.
- The downward trend continued with 37.61 million pounds in 2022 and 31.88 million pounds in 2023.
- In 2024, cargo volumes remained relatively stable at 31.91 million pounds before increasing again in 2025.
How many cancellations occur at Hilo International Airport annually?
Flight cancellations at Hilo International Airport are typically low, staying under 1% in most years.
- In 2025, 0.68% of flights were cancelled, a slight improvement from 0.89% in 2024.
- The highest rate occurred in 2020 at 6.09%, due to the pandemic.
- In 2021, the rate fell to 0.82%, with 0.91% in 2022 and 0.97% in 2023.
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What are the main causes of flight disruptions at Hilo International Airport?
Common causes of flight delays and disruptions include:
- Winter weather (onshore winds and storms from November to March).
- Tropical weather (hurricanes or storms from June to November), though major impacts are rare.
- Morning fog and low visibility, especially in cooler months.
- Operational issues or delays at connecting airports like Honolulu.
- Volcanic monitoring from Kīlauea, though flight disruptions remain rare due to modern tracking systems.
What are the notable incidents at Hilo International Airport?
- July 2019: A small general aviation plane made a gear-up landing. No injuries occurred. The event led to a standard runway inspection and safety review.
- February 2021: A commercial flight diverted to Hilo due to a medical emergency. No airport-related issues were reported.
References
- Hilo International Airport Air Traffic Data (2022–24) · hidot.hawaii.gov
- Hilo International Airport Air Traffic Data (2015–21) · hidot.hawaii.gov
- BTS TranStats — IAH Route Information · transtats.bts.gov
- Incidents at Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport — NTSB · ntsb.gov
