๐บ๐ธ Hawi, United States of America
Upolu Airport is a small state-run general aviation airport on the Big Island of Hawaii, three miles northwest of Hawi on the Kohala coast. It has one 3,800-foot runway, no aviation services, and a long history that runs from the old Suiter Field era through military use and later civilian operation under Hawaii DOT.
The field is not a scheduled-airline airport today, and that is central to understanding it. Travelers should expect a very light-footprint airfield with basic facilities, no fuel, and no conventional airline terminal flow. Its value lies in private aviation, emergency flexibility, and local access to the island's far northern district.
UPP is distinctive because of both setting and history. Few small Hawaiian airports combine territorial-era origins, wartime carrier-training use, and present-day quiet GA status, and the airport remains a useful reminder that the island's aviation geography once depended on several far smaller coastal gateways than today's better-known fields.
Upolu Airport is a small general aviation field northwest of Hawi, with no aviation services on site, so there is no meaningful commercial transfer experience to rely on. Plan it as a self-contained stop: arrive with fuel, transport, and any onward ground arrangements already confirmed, because the airport does not function like a staffed passenger terminal. On the Big Island, a road transfer to Kohala, Waimea, or the Kona coast is usually the practical next leg, not a terminal-to-terminal connection. Upolu Airport is essentially a bush strip for the northwest side of the island, so the real transfer is a road or 4WD handoff toward Hawi, Waimea, or the Kohala coast rather than any airport-side transport desk. If you are moving farther across the island, that road handoff is the practical next leg, not a terminal-side transport market. In that setting, the airport is only useful when the vehicle or host pickup is already waiting for you on the island. On the Big Island, that is why the road transfer to Hawi or Waimea needs to be sorted before arrival. A confirmed vehicle matters most if you are carrying bags or moving onward to a rural homestead. The airport is a planning stop, not a place where you can reliably improvise the next ride.
โข Use UPP for scenic helicopter tours of the Kohala cliffs.
โข No commercial service; fly to Kona (KOA) and drive 45 mins north.
โข Pre-arrange a taxi pickup from Hawi town; none wait at the strip.
โข The airport is only 10 minutes from the historic Hawi town center.
โข Free on-site parking is available for GA and tour travelers.
Minimum domestic connection:
45 minutes
International connections:
60 minutes
Interline transfers:
120 minutes
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Last updated: April 2026 | Data Source: IATA and other airline sites and resources