Hilo Airport Runway Closing Nightly for Lighting Replacement

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) will begin Phase 4 of the Hilo International Airport (ITO) Taxiway and Runway Lighting Replacement Project. The work will include replacing all runway and taxiway lighting infrastructure, light fixtures and airfield signs, as well as improvements to the electrical draining system.

The work will be conducted at night and will require the closure of runway 8-26 from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. nightly, starting Monday, January 6, 2025, for a minimum of 128 calendar days. During the closure the alternate runway, 3-21, will be used for aircraft operations.

The runway work is part of the HDOT’s ongoing efforts to maintain the runway and improve takeoff and taxiway operations at ITO. HDOT has scheduled this work at night to minimize impacts to air travelers and airline operations, as well as to reduce the project duration to the extent possible. HDOT apologizes for any inconvenience and appreciate the public’s understanding as the work must be done to ensure safety for all aircraft operations.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.