Hilo and Kona Airports Reopen as Lala Weakens in Hawaii

Hawaii’s two Big Island airports are reopening Sunday after Tropical Storm Lala shut them down Saturday, while Kahului and Līhuʻe continue on a reduced schedule and cancellations remain across the state. Hilo International Airport closed at 8 a.m., and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport closed at 2 p.m. Saturday.

State transportation officials expect both airports to resume operations on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The reopening will depend on inspections of runways, terminals and access roads.

Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation, said crews kept personnel at both airports overnight.

"Today at Hilo, we shut down at 8 a.m. At two o'clock, we shut down Kona. We are making sure that we have state personnel there overnight to make sure that we can look at the conditions of our runways and our terminals to make sure everything is safe before we start again tomorrow"

The storm disrupted more than the Big Island. Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines canceled 59 Neighbor Island flights and 18 transpacific flights Saturday. Carriers canceled another 17 Neighbor Island and 7 transpacific flights in advance for Sunday.

Governor Josh Green, M.D., urged residents to stay off the roads as Lala moved through the islands.

"Hurricane Lala is now impacting our state, and the safety of our people remains our highest priority. Please be safe. You definitely want to be home, do not be out on the roads"

The storm weakened overnight, but flight operations and ground transportation still face separate checks. Tropical Storm Lala was centered approximately 100 miles south of Honolulu at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, with maximum winds of 70 mph.

Runway inspections will determine when Big Island service returns

Hilo had no flights scheduled for the remainder of Saturday after its closure. Kona also had no flights scheduled after 2 p.m. State personnel began inspecting the facilities Sunday as operators prepared to restore service gradually.

The storm brushed the Big Island’s southern coast Saturday as a Category 1 hurricane. It did not make a technical landfall, but the system passed closer to the island than any hurricane in 155 years.

HDOT crews are clearing Highway 11 and Highway 19 on Hawaiʻi Island. Those routes provide ground access to the airports and must be checked alongside the aviation facilities.

Kimo Alameda, mayor of Hawaiʻi County, said the airport closures reduced the number of visitors moving around the island during the emergency.

"We’re really not out of the woods. I mean, I feel it. I can sense it. closure of the Hilo and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International airports helped with the county’s emergency response because it meant fewer visitors circulating on the Big Island"

The reopening schedule remains tied to safety inspections. The airports closed during Lala’s most direct approach and are now being assessed as the storm moves northwest.

Maui, Kauaʻi and Oʻahu airports are operating with interruptions

Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport remains open. The state described Hawaii airports as “technically open and operating normally” in its latest update, even as cancellations continued elsewhere.

Most transpacific flights at Honolulu are operating, while inter-island cancellations persist. That makes the Oʻahu hub usable for some travelers, but connecting itineraries can still fail when a neighbor-island segment is canceled.

Kahului Airport on Maui is open with a reduced schedule for local and trans-Pacific flights. The airport is working to restore full service after heavy rain Saturday.

Līhuʻe Airport on Kauaʻi is also running fewer flights. Hawaiian Airlines announced a reduced Sunday schedule as the storm moved toward Kauaʻi, and several airlines adjusted or canceled flights for Saturday and Sunday.

The airports do not face identical conditions. Big Island facilities are emerging from full closures, while Maui, Kauaʻi and Oʻahu are handling disrupted schedules and cancellations.

Carriers are offering waivers through August 19

Hawaiian, Alaska, United, Delta and American issued travel waivers covering flights booked between August 14 and August 19, 2026. The waivers allow eligible passengers to rebook without fare differences or change fees.

Passengers with canceled flights should check their carrier’s revised itinerary before going to an airport. A reopened terminal does not guarantee that every route has returned, particularly when an itinerary includes an inter-island connection.

Saturday’s cancellation totals show why. The airlines removed dozens of neighbor-island flights along with transpacific services, then canceled additional flights proactively for Sunday.

The disruption also affects the transport network beyond aircraft. Commercial ports on the Big Island and in Maui County were placed at “Zulu” status by the U.S. Coast Guard, stopping terminal operations until inspections are completed Sunday.

Warnings and infrastructure checks remain active

The Hurricane Warning for the Big Island was downgraded. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Maui, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi as Lala travels northwest.

Amos Lonokailua-Hewett, administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, asked residents to prepare for changing conditions.

"We need everyone to understand the risks where they live and know what they will do if conditions change"

Rain and wind produced additional hazards around the islands. Forecasters recorded up to 35 inches of rain at higher elevations on the Big Island, including Mauna Kea, while sustained winds reached 80 mph before the storm weakened.

Approximately 125,000 homes statewide lost power at the peak of the storm. Reports also cited 60,000 outages specifically on the Big Island.

Governor Green confirmed one fatality after a head-on car collision in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates on Saturday.

Airport reopening therefore depends on more than the storm’s downgrade. Crews must inspect runways and terminals, clear highways and account for continuing warnings before normal movement can return.

Travelers scheduled to fly Sunday should verify the operating status of every segment, including connections through Honolulu. The carrier waivers remain available for eligible bookings through August 19, 2026.