The largest and busiest airport in Hawaii is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), located in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Serving as the primary gateway to the Hawaiian Islands, HNL covers over 4,200 acres of land and water, featuring four active runways, including the famous "Reef Runway," which was the world's first major runway built entirely offshore on a coral reef. The airport is a massive transit hub, handling over 20 million passengers annually in 2026. It serves as the principal hub for Hawaiian Airlines and is a major stop for trans-pacific flights connecting North America with East Asia and Oceania. The facility is divided into three terminals: Terminal 1 (mostly Hawaiian Airlines), Terminal 2 (international and other domestic carriers), and Terminal 3 (small regional airlines). Its unique "open-air" design in many of the concourses allows travelers to enjoy the tropical climate even while inside the terminal. Because most international visitors must first land at HNL before "island hopping" to Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island, it functions as the economic and logistical heart of the state's vital tourism industry and remains one of the most iconic airports in the United States.