Kapalua Airport , also known as Kapalua West Maui Airport, is a regional airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 on the west side of the island of Maui

Maui

The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

. It is located 5 NM northwest of Lahaina, in Maui County, Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.
Most flights to Kapalua Airport originate from commuter airports on the other Hawaiian islands by commercial commuter services (Island Air

Island Air

Island Air is an independent American commuter airline based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii. It operates scheduled inter-island passenger services in Hawaii...

), unscheduled air taxis, and general aviation.

History

Named for the Kapalua Resort

Kapalua Resort

Kapalua Resort is a golf and beach resort in Kapalua, Hawaii on the northwest shore of the island of Maui near Lahaina, Hawaii.-Description:Surrounded by from the verdant mountain ridges and summit of Puu Kukui to lava rock bays, Kapalua Resort is set amidst two nature preserves and former...

 a few miles to the north, the airport replaced the Kaanapali Airport

Kaanapali Airport

Kaanapali Airport was a small regional airport located on the northwest end of Maui, near the city of Lahaina and north of Kaanapali Beach in Honokōwai...

, which had an even shorter runway, in 1987 to allow valuable coastal land to be developed.
The airport code name JHM stands for John Henry Magoon, who was president of Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...

 when that airline developed the airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Kapalua Airport is governed by a special agreement made by the state with Maui County. A former, privately owned airport, major changes or improvements to Kapalua Airport cannot be made without the consent of the Maui County Council. The county insists on limiting development to preserve the Kapalua community from commercialization. Kapalua Airport is restricted to a single runway, a couple of terminal facilities and support facilities. There are no air cargo facilities. Operations are restricted to daytime hours only.

JTB Hawaii, an affiliate company of Japanese travel agent JTB Corporation

JTB Corporation

, is the largest travel agency in Japan and one of the largest travel agencies in the world. It specializes in tourism. There are branches all over the world to help Japanese visitors, including both private and business travelers. It was formerly owned by the Japanese government...

, operates its customer service outlet located in the lobby.

The airport covers an area of 50 acres (20.2 ha) at an elevation

Elevation

The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....

 of 256 feet (78 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway

Runway

According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

 designated 2/20 with an asphalt

Asphalt

Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...

 surface measuring 3,000 by 100 feet (914 x 30 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2004, the airport had 9,990 aircraft operations, an average of 27 per day: 51% scheduled commercial

Airline

An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...

 and 49% air taxi

Air taxi

An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...

.

Authority

Kapalua Airport is part of a centralized state structure governing all of the airports and seaports of Hawaii. The official authority of Kapalua Airport is the Governor of Hawaii

Governor of Hawaii

The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...

 who appoints the Director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation

Hawaii Department of Transportation

The Hawaii Department of Transportation is a state government organization which oversees transportation in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The agency is divided into three divisions dealing with aviation, maritime, and roads.-Airports Division:...

 who has jurisdiction over the Hawaii Airports Administrator.

The Hawaii Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office, Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawaii: Hawaii Island District

Hawaii (island)

The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...

, Kauai District

Kauai

Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...

, Maui District and the principal Oahu District

Honolulu County, Hawaii

The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian...

. Kapalua Airport is a subordinate of the Maui District officials.

External links

• Hawaii DOT page for Kapalua Airport