Lihue Airport (PHLI), Hawaii
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Lihue Airport (PHLI) serves Kauai as a towered, public-use field with year-round attendance from 0500 to 0000 local time. The airport recorded 41,530 total annual operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, with 2,196 of those attributed to business aviation. Two paved runways of 6,500 feet each, along with on-site CBP inspection services and a USDA compliance agreement, support both domestic and international arrivals into this Pacific island location.
Runways
Lihue Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 03/21, is 6,500 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first. Helipads and surfaces under 500 ft are excluded.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Lihue Airport has Jet A and 100 available on the field. Fueling is available from 5am to 12am, daily, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Lihue Airport has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Lihue Airport recorded 2,196 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in December. Business aviation traffic at PHLI is notably higher in December, with 352 operations compared to a range mostly between 128 and 236 across the rest of the year.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month December, 352 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Lihue Airport averages 0.4 days above 90°F in August. September is the warmest month, with average highs of 85.3°F, and February the coldest, at 78.1°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Lihue Airport has published operating constraints in six categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Prior permission is required for the transportation of Division 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 explosives and hazardous materials into and out of the airport. Contact Airport Operations.
Aircraft needing engine runups for purposes other than normal start-up and taxi out are required to coordinate these runups with Airport Operations. The normal runup area is on Taxiway Alpha north of the Taxiway B and Alpha intersection. Aircraft orientation depends on wind conditions and tower approval.
Prior permission is required for parking all transient aircraft. Contact Airport Operations Control by fax between 1700Z and 0230Z, and at other times as well. Military and civilian aircraft carrying munitions or hazardous materials must coordinate their itinerary in advance of arrival.
Runway 17/35 weight limits are 340,000 pounds for the DC10-10 and 430,000 pounds for the DC10-30.
Stadium flood lights are located 125 feet AGL, 282 feet MSL, 2,400 feet southwest of the Runway 03 threshold.
When the control tower is closed, activate the MALSR for Runway 35, the REIL for Runways 03, 17, and 21, the PAPI for Runways 03, 17, 21, and 35, the MIRL for Runway 03/21, the HIRL for Runway 17/35, and the taxiway lights via CTAF.
Distance remaining signs are located on the left side of Runway 35.
Intersection departures from Taxiway D onto Runway 17/35 are not authorized.
A 405-foot section of Runway 17/35, located 500 feet south of the Taxiway D and Runway 17/35 intersection, is not visible from the control tower.
Extensive large and small bird activity occurs in the vicinity of the runways, including the Nene goose.
PCR VALUE: 704/F/A/W/T
100 octane fuel is available from 0900 to 1700. Jet A fuel is also carried at the airport.
The visual glide slope indicator is unusable beyond 1.5 nautical miles and 7 degrees left of centerline, and beyond an offset of 9.5 degrees east of centerline, due to rapidly rising terrain.
The visual glide slope indicator is unusable beyond 5 degrees right of centerline.
Military aircraft must make fuel arrangements before arrival.
Due to nonvisibility, the control tower is unable to provide air traffic control services between aircraft and/or vehicles on Taxiway B from 220 feet to 500 feet south of Taxiway D.
Helicopter parking pads 1 through 20 are located west of the control tower.
Power settings that would not cause damage to lights and signs are permitted at the runup area. If a runup would cause damage, an alternate location will be selected.
For clearance delivery when the control tower is closed, contact the Honolulu Control Facility.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Lihue Airport has one airfield within 25 NM. The closest is Barking Sands Pmrf (PHBK), 24.99 NM west.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at PHLI
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at PHLI.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Does PHLI have on-site customs clearance?
Lihue Airport (PHLI) has on-site CBP inspection services available for arriving international flights. The airport also operates under a USDA compliance agreement, which applies to agricultural inspection requirements common in Hawaii. Crews should still confirm arrival procedures with the airport, since Hawaii-bound flights often carry both customs and agricultural inspection requirements. PHLI is towered and staffed daily from 0500 to 0000 local time, which covers most arrival windows. No nearby alternate customs airport is listed for this location, reflecting the on-site availability.
What is the runway configuration at PHLI?
Lihue Airport (PHLI) has two paved runways, 03/21 and 17/35, each measuring 6,500 feet long and 150 feet wide with an asphalt surface. Both runways share the same maximum paved length of 6,500 feet available at the field. The airport also has three helicopter pads with concrete surfaces, listed as H1, H2, and H3. Intersection departures from Taxiway D onto Runway 17/35 are not authorized. Helicopter parking pads 1 through 20 are located west of the control tower.
Is there a weight limit on Runway 17/35 at PHLI?
Yes, Runway 17/35 at Lihue Airport (PHLI) carries specific weight limits for certain wide-body aircraft. The DC10-10 is limited to 340,000 pounds and the DC10-30 to 430,000 pounds on this runway. Operators flying comparable aircraft types should account for this restriction when planning arrivals or departures on 17/35. The parallel runway, 03/21, is also 6,500 feet long but is not listed with the same stated limits in this remark. Dispatchers should confirm current weight bearing capacity through the airport before scheduling heavy aircraft on this runway.
When is 100 octane fuel available at PHLI?
100 octane fuel at Lihue Airport (PHLI) is available between 0900 and 1700 local time. Jet A fuel is also carried at the field according to the airport's fuel data, though the source remark references it only in connection with the 100 octane schedule note. Attendance at PHLI runs all days, all months, from 0500 to 0000 local time, which is broader than the fuel service window itself. Military aircraft are specifically instructed to make fuel arrangements before arrival, since standard fuel service hours may not align with all military schedules. Operators should plan fuel stops around the stated fuel availability hours rather than the full attendance schedule.
Are there wildlife hazards reported at PHLI?
Yes, Lihue Airport (PHLI) reports extensive large and small bird activity in the vicinity of the runways. The remark specifically identifies the Nene goose, a protected Hawaiian species, as part of this bird activity. Crews operating at PHLI should factor in wildlife strike risk during approach, departure, and runway operations. This hazard is noted as a standing airport remark rather than a seasonal or time-limited condition. No mitigation measures or reporting procedures beyond the general remark are specified in the airport's published data.