As part of the public outreach conducted during the Lihue Airport Master Plan Update 20-year timeframe, various Kauai community leaders requested that certain development alternatives presented at the May 17th public meeting be revisited to better align with various County of Kauai and Hawaii Tourism Authority initiatives. Specifically, various Kauai community leaders voiced their oppositions to the addition of up to three new passenger boarding gates in the event of future passenger growth, and a consolidated rental car at the airport, citing “unsustainable visitor growth” or “over-tourism” and already-congested island roadways that have no future plans for expansion.

Following several subsequent meetings with Kauai community leaders and input from the community, the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airports Division is transitioning the Airport Master Plan into the Lihue Airport Optimization Plan. This Plan will primarily aim at improving, enhancing, and modernizing the Lihue Airport gates and terminal facilities while continuing to enhance the overall safe and secure operations of the airport, including but not limited to:

• Expand and/or consolidate ticketing areas, holdrooms, passenger security screening checkpoints, baggage claims, public parking, and other undersized and congested facilities.
• Renovate/replace existing aging infrastructure.
• Equip existing ground loading Gate 10A with a loading bridge and holdroom.
• Enhance safety by consolidating cargo, helicopter, and other general aviation operations.