Local and state officials celebrate the completion of a $62 million project at the Kahului Airport on Wednesday with a blessing of the new passenger waiting area. Included in the ceremony were (from left) Ezekiel Kalua of the Maui County Mayor’s Office; Rep. Justin Woodson; John Ogoshi, president of Maryl Group; Marvin Moniz, the Maui district airports manager for the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation; Sen. Troy Hashimoto; Dayton Wong, associate of Design Partners; and Curt Otaguro, deputy director of transportation for airports. Photo courtesy Hawai‘i Department of Transportation

The waiting area for passengers catching flights at the Kahului Airport just got a little more comfortable and a lot bigger.

With local and state officials in attendance, the Hawai’i Department of Transportation hosted on Wednesday a blessing and dedication ceremony for the new and expanded passenger waiting area serving gates 1 to 15 in the airport’s southern concourse.

According to the department, the new waiting area was created by connecting two existing waiting areas, each approximately 6,000 square feet, and enclosing the open-air walkway that separated them.

Now, there is a 17,000-square-foot, air-conditioned area that can seat 460 passengers in addition to a new garden deck that provides an outdoor seating option. Other improvements at the airport include modifications to the gate service counter areas, passenger loading bridge and cargo ramp, as well as upgrades to the fire alarm, air conditioning, lighting and flight information display systems.

The new waiting area at the Kahului Airport for gates 1 to 15 is a 17,000-square-foot space with air conditioning that can seat 460 passengers.

The new waiting area at the Kahului Airport for gates 1 to 15 is a 17,000-square-foot space with air conditioning that can seat 460 passengers.

Construction began in May 2021 and was completed in November. The total cost of the project was $62 million.

“To help ease the stress of air travel, passengers departing out of Kahului Airport now have more inviting, spacious and comfortable areas — both indoor and outdoor — to relax and unwind before boarding their flight,” Hawai’i Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said in a statement. “The new and expanded waiting area and new outdoor garden deck at Kahului Airport are part of the state’s continuing efforts to modernize our airports statewide and improve the overall experience for the traveling public.”

Kahului Airport was originally built to accommodate interisland flights with a capacity of approximately 115 passengers. Current operations include overseas flights to the mainland with capacity of approximately 290 passengers.