HNL takes off: Upgrades to modernize Honolulu's aging airport
It's the gateway to paradise, but plans are underway to make Honolulu's airport feel like part of the vacation.
Facial recognition at airports: 9 things to know before you get in line
'Whether it's inter-island, or whether you're going to trans Pacific, you gotta fly. You want to make sure that our experiences, our collective experiences, here are better for everybody,' said Ed Sniffen, Hawaii Department of Transportation Director.
Likely one of the first and biggest changes you will see in the mauka terminal is the expansion of the Hawaiian Airlines lounge, which will be five times the size of the old lounge.
The new premium lounge is set to open in 2027 and is part of Alaska Air Group's strategic plan to consolidate lobby space following the merger with Hawaiian Airlines.
Beyond the terminals, Lobbies 5 through 8 will be undergoing $60 million in renovations, including relocating the baggage handling system to the back of the ticketing area.
'It gives us a better, spacious feel in the front side, more of a better operation for the airlines themselves, and just better experience overall,' said Sniffen.And new artwork on the walls will tell the story of Hawaii, addressing critics who say the airport lacks any strong cultural identity.
A line up of recognized restaurants and bars are touching down, including Panda Express at the end of May, Alan Wong's, MW, Aloha Plate and Waialua Bar and Cafe next year.
Also coming soon, a build-out of the Diamond Head concourse to match the improvements at the mauka concourse.
Behind the scenes, critical systems are getting attention, too. About half of the $1.78 billion in the capital improvement budget the state legislature earmarked for airports next year, will go towards airfield improvements.
'They've done a lot of emergency repairs that we had to do because of the failing pavements, and we want to make sure that for the next 35 to 50 years, we don't have to worry about it anymore,' said Sniffen.
Ten million dollars will be used to upgrade airport rescue and firefighting operations, that can be used to support local firefighters in an emergency.
Check out more news from around Hawaii
'There's bigger planes coming in with more fuel. We got to make sure we're ready to be safe in these areas. and that's statewide,' said Sniffen.
The DOT is also looking into ways to improve technology at the airport to stop it from feeling like a layover from the past.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Hawaiian Airlines to cancel only direct flight to Boston
'Despite our team's best efforts, soft post-pandemic travel demand from Asia combined with various market challenges have persisted in Seoul, as well as in Fukuoka and Boston,' Hawaiian Airlines CEO Joe Sprague said. The airline began service to Boston in 2019 and currently operates four direct, non-stop flights between Logan International Airport and Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport each week. Advertisement Logan International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hawaiian Airlines was the only airline that offered direct flights between Logan International Airport in Boston and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, according to the 'We remain committed to continuing to provide robust Hawaiian Airlines service between Asia and Hawai'i through our nonstop Japan flights, and via one-stop connections to and from Incheon and beyond with our global partner airlines,' Sprague said. The suspension is set to go into effect Nov. 19, when all direct flights between Boston and Honolulu will cease operation. After the suspension, Boston-based travelers will have to arrange for connecting flights on their route to Honolulu and the state of Hawai'i. Advertisement 'Between Honolulu and Boston, guests can connect daily on Alaska Airlines' flights via Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and San Diego,' Hawaiian Airlines said in the statement. Travelers who booked Hawaiian Airlines flights between Honolulu and Boston after the Nov. 19 suspension will be reaccommodated with another flight to their location or receive a refund, the airline said in the statement announcing the suspension. The planes that were used to fly between Honolulu and Logan International will redirect their courses to support high-demand flight paths, the airline said. In the statement, Hawaiian Airlines said that the aircraft will be redeployed to offer an increased number of flights between Honolulu and Sydney, Australia, Papeete, Tahiti, Los Angeles, and Seattle. 'These adjustments will ensure we are meeting strong demand for travel to Hawaiʻi – both internationally and domestically – while providing all our guests access to more destinations,' Sprague said. Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines The deal was intended to offer more flights between the 138 destinations the airlines accommodate and maintain Honolulu as a travel hub, the Katie Cressman can be reached at
Travel Weekly
a day ago
- Travel Weekly
Industry urges Hawaii to rethink plan to slash cruise calls
Industry stakeholders are urging policymakers to reconsider a plan that would phase out Hawaii cruise calls. The proposal is part of a broader effort to reduce emissions. The Hawaii Department of Transportation is calling for a 50% reduction in cruise calls by 2030 and an additional 50% reduction by 2035. It makes an exception for homeported ships, of which is there is only one large cruise vessel, Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America. Other large cruise ships include Hawaii as part of longer itineraries. Hawaii-based policy groups and companies that work with the cruise industry called for open dialogue between policymakers, cruise lines and members of the community, saying there are other ways to reduce cruise ship emissions than eliminating calls. A group of 55 Hawaii-based stakeholders met on Aug. 7 to begin strategizing a response to the DOT proposal, said Denise Clark, who does consulting and liaison work with the cruise industry and Hawaiian businesses and organized the meeting. Curtis Chee, director of cruise service at MC&A, which conducts cruise turnaround operations and connects cruise lines with shore excursion vendors, said Hawaii-based businesses that work with the cruise industry share the goal of a greener future. But he urged the state to recognize that there are ways to do so without putting Hawaiians out of work, such as his staff of about 50 who complete turnaround operations for the Pride of America alone. "We are so eager and anxious to jump in and say, 'What can we do to help you get to this plan without the elimination of vessels?'" he said. "Working with the cruise lines to find out which vessels already have low emissions, which vessels already could have the potential for shore power, and see if that fleet is able to come to the Islands." Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America is the only large cruise ship that homeports in Hawaii. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has prioritized environmental policy, and this is not the first time that focus has included new cruise regulations. In May, Hawaii's legislature passed an 11% cruise tax to be used for sustainability efforts. Malia Blom Hill, policy director at the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii, a nonprofit that supports limited government, said that Hawaiian culture lends itself to a more collaborative rather than adversarial approach to conflict resolution, so it would behoove the cruise lines to work with rather than against policymakers. "If the perception is that you're just trying to move in and push people around, it definitely sets up not a combativeness but a sort of, 'You're not one of us. You're not here. You don't have our interests at heart,'" Hill said. The DOT has already indicated it is open to alternatives to a cruise phase-out. Dre Kalili, a deputy director for the department, said during a recorded presentation about the plan that if the industry indicates it is willing to implement emission-reduction initiatives, such as bringing ships to Hawaii that can plug into shore power, "I think we are open to that. But based on the data that we have and the trends that we see, [reducing cruise calls] emerged as a strategy." Clark said that Hawaii does not currently have shore power infrastructure, so building it could be one alternative to a port call phase-out. However, she said she fears that cruise lines might reduce Hawaii itineraries pre-emptively after seeing the state's intentions. "We know that the port itinerary planners work so far in advance that what happens today affects us two years, three years from now," she said. A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, despite the Pride of America being exempt from the proposal, said it "welcomes an open, collaborative dialogue" with Hawaii's DOT to "refine the plan and best support our shared goals of reducing emissions, enhancing energy security and expanding access to clean, zero- or low-emission fuels. As the only cruise operator with a U.S.-flagged ship offering year-round service in Hawaii, we take that responsibility seriously." All other cruise lines deferred to CLIA, which said it supports "practical and effective environmental solutions that positively impact the communities we visit."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Is The Metals Company a Millionaire Maker?
Key Points The Metals Company aims to harvest trillions of metal-rich nodules from the Pacific's Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Regulatory approval from the International Seabed Authority is the biggest hurdle, though a U.S. legal loophole could give it first-mover advantage. With no commercial revenue and ongoing cash burn, this remains a high-risk, high-reward play. 10 stocks we like better than TMC The Metals Company › From electric vehicle (EV) batteries to wind turbines to advanced medical devices, rare-earth metals sit at the center of nearly every major technological shift in the 21st century. The problem? They're concentrated in just a handful of countries, with the lion's share of processing capacity in China. It's a concentration of power that has governments and companies alike scrambling to secure non-Chinese sources before a trade dispute or export ban turns supply chains into choke points. Enter, The Metals Company (NASDAQ: TMC), an early-stage mining company with a plan to scoop billions of tons of metal-rich rocks from the deep Pacific. If it works, these rocks (called "nodules") could feed the clean-energy supply chain for decades, not to mention give the U.S. and allies a rare chance to loosen China's hold on critical minerals. But with the company yet to secure mining permits, and potentially years away from turning a profit, the gap between vision and reality is about as wide as the ocean the company is trying to mine. All things considered, can this metal stock generate $1 million from today's share price? Why deep-sea mining has investors talking First, let's talk opportunity. The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, where The Metals Company plans to operate, contains trillions of potato-sized polymetallic nodules. These small, metal-rich rocks contain nickel, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, and other minerals. In other words, they hold the building blocks for EV batteries, renewable power grids, advanced defense systems, and dozens of other uses. The U.S. still imports roughly 80% of rare earths, and more than three-quarters of that comes from China. After leaping into the rare-metal business before most of the rest of the world, Beijing now controls about 70% of global rare-earth mining and nearly 90% of processing. Recent export restrictions on certain rare earths and magnets have only underscored the need for alternative sources. But big hurdles remain TMC's pitch is that deep-sea mining could deliver rare earths at scale without relying on land-based mines. The plan seems simple enough: With vacuum-like machinery, it'll pump nodules to the surface, process them in a seawater slurry, then discharge sediment back to the sea. Locating nodules isn't a problem. The company has mapped and secured exploration rights to two massive swaths of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Its biggest hurdle, however, is getting permission to start mining. The key gatekeeper is the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a U.N.-linked body that sets the rules for mining in international waters. Currently, the ISA is still finalizing its rulebook, and, until it's finished, nobody's getting a commercial license. For TMC, that could mean waiting months, maybe years, before the ISA gives it the green light. Any longer than a few years, and the company could burn through its cash reserves long before the first nodules surface. That said, there is an unusual wrinkle with the ISA: The U.S. never ratified the treaty that created it. That could open the door -- narrowly -- for a U.S.-based company to bypass the ISA entirely if national interest is at stake. TMC is currently trying to wedge its way though that gap. Earlier this year, it filed for a mining permit under an old U.S. offshore minerals law just days after a White House order revived political interest in rare earths. If it works, the company could have a head start that no other deep-sea miner currently has, effectively turning years of regulatory waiting into an open lane toward production. Is The Metals Company a millionaire maker? Let's do the math. If you bought 1,000 shares of TMC at today's price ($5.32), your initial position would be worth about $5,320. For that to grow to $1 million, you would need a 188-fold gain from today's price, or a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 68.8% over a decade. That's extremely rare in public markets. True, TMC has massive potential. But the company is still pre-revenue. Despite the fact that its market cap sits around $2.1 billion, it isn't generating commercial revenue, at least not meaningfully. It's also burning cash. In the first quarter of this year, it reported a net loss of $20.6 million, or $0.06 per share. Although it claims to have about $43.8 million in total liquidity -- with $2.3 in cash -- that cushion could evaporate quick without a breakthrough on the permit front. Don't get me wrong: TMC can disrupt the global supply of rare earths, if it can get its business off the ground and into the sea. But since its business model is still unproven, sentiment and expectations will drive the stock in the short term, which could make it volatile. It's one to keep on the radar, but without clear steps toward production, I'm not ready to anchor a large position here. Should you invest $1,000 in TMC The Metals Company right now? Before you buy stock in TMC The Metals Company, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and TMC The Metals Company wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $668,155!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,106,071!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,070% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 184% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 13, 2025 Steven Porrello has positions in TMC The Metals Company. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is The Metals Company a Millionaire Maker? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
