Departure
95%
vs 95%
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (PHNL) is Hawaii's principal aviation gateway, sitting on the south coast of Oahu at Honolulu and named for the late US Senator. It is one of the busiest and most complex airports in the Pacific, mixing heavy commercial and cargo traffic with general aviation, flight training and tour helicopters alongside joint military operations, all set within a demanding VFR environment of restricted areas and nearby military fields.
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, widely known simply as Honolulu Airport, is the main air gateway to the Hawaiian Islands and sits on the island of Oahu at Honolulu. It is owned and operated by the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, which also manages the nearby Kalaeloa and Dillingham airfields. For a simulator pilot the field is notable for its scale: six physical runways including two purpose-built water runways, three ILS-equipped approaches, and a traffic mix that spans heavy international and domestic airliners, cargo flights, general aviation, numerous flight schools and a very high volume of tour helicopters, plus joint operations with the adjacent military base.
HNL lies on the south shore of Oahu at Honolulu. Pilots operating in the area need to be aware of several nearby fields and areas of controlled or restricted airspace: Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Field, JRF/PHJR), Wheeler Army Airfield (HHI/PHHI) and Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station (NGF/HNG), along with Restricted Areas R-3109 and R-3110. HNL also conducts joint operations with Hickam Air Force Base (HIK) and the Hawaii Air National Guard, and the traffic mix includes a heavy volume of both tour and military helicopters. The H-1/H-2 highway interchange and the CKH VORTAC are noted as areas of high VFR traffic congestion.
The airport has six physical runway pairs. Runway 08L/26R is 12,274 ft (08L) and 12,273 ft (26R), hard surface, lit, with an ILS on 08L. Runway 08R/26L is 11,992 ft, hard surface, lit, with an ILS on 26L. Runway 04R/22L is 8,986 ft, hard surface, lit, with an ILS on 04R. Runway 04L/22R is 6,964 ft, hard surface, lit. In addition to the paved runways there are two on-water runways: 08/26 at 6,236 ft and 04W/22W at 4,706 ft, both water surface. Runways 04L/22R and 04R/22L intersect runway 08L/26R at an angle near the east end of the airfield, which pilots should note when taxiing or landing.
HNL is a fully controlled tower airport. Published frequencies are: Approach 118.3 MHz, ATIS 127.9 MHz, Clearance Delivery 121.4 MHz, Departure 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz and Tower 118.1 MHz. Instrument approaches are available, with ILS serving runways 08L, 26L and 04R.
Arriving and departing pilots should be alert to the intersecting runway layout at the east end of the field, where aircraft landing runway 4R and exiting left onto the taxiway sometimes fail to hold short of runway 4L/22R and runway 8L/26R. The airport handles a heavy volume of helicopter traffic, both tour operators and military, which adds to the complexity of operations in the local area.
The CKH VORTAC and the H-1/H-2 highway interchange are identified as prominent features in the vicinity, both associated with high concentrations of VFR traffic and useful as orientation points when operating in the Honolulu area.
The airport was formerly known as Honolulu International Airport before being renamed in honour of US Senator Daniel K. Inouye. It is owned and operated by the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation and has long maintained a close operational relationship with the adjacent military base, now Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, reflecting its dual civil and military heritage.
HNL remains one of the busiest airports in the Pacific, averaging over 700 operations a day across a diverse mix of commercial passenger and cargo carriers, general aviation, numerous flight schools, tour helicopters and joint military flying with Hickam and the Hawaii Air National Guard. It is managed by the Hawaii Department of Transportation, which also oversees Kalaeloa Airport and Dillingham Field, the latter used mainly by gliders and parachutists.
