ʻUpolu Airport

{{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox airport | name = {{Okina}}Upolu Airport | nativename = ''Kahua Mokulele o {{okina}}Upolu'' | image = Upolu-Airport-MCB.jpg | IATA = UPP | ICAO = PHUP | FAA = UPP | type = Public | owner-oper = [[Hawaii Department of Transportation]] | location = [[Hawi, Hawaii]] | elevation-f = 96 | elevation-m = 29 | pushpin_map = Hawaii | coordinates = {{coord|20|15|55|N|155|51|36|W|region:US-HI_type:airport_scale:10000|display=inline,title|name=Upolu Airport}} | website = {{URL|hawaii.gov/upp}} | r1-number = 7/25 | r1-length-f = 3,800 | r1-length-m = 1,158 | r1-surface = Asphalt | stat-year = 2008 | stat1-header = Aircraft operations | stat1-data = 790 | footnotes = Source: [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=UPP|use=PU|own=PU|site=52090.*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 29 July 2010.</ref> }} '''{{okina}}Upolu Airport''' {{Airport codes|UPP|PHUP|UPP}} is a regional airport in [[Hawaii County, Hawaii]], US. Located on the northern tip of the [[Hawaii (island)|Big Island]], it is {{convert|3|NM|abbr=out|lk=in}} northwest<ref name="FAA" /> of the unincorporated town of [[Hawi, Hawaii|Hawi]].

It is included in the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) [[National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems]] for 2017–2021, in which it is [[FAA airport categories|categorized]] as a [[general aviation]] facility.<ref name="NPIAS Airports">{{cite web|title=List of NPIAS Airports|url=https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/NPIAS-Report-2017-2021-Appendix-A.pdf|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|accessdate=23 December 2016|format=PDF|date=21 October 2016}}</ref>

== History == {{stack|[[File:Landing Fields - Hawaii - Hawaii Island - NARA - 68159499 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Upolu Airport in 1933]]}} Upolu Airport was built in 1927 for the United States Air Service to be under the control and management of the War Department. The land had previously been deeded to the Territory of Hawaii by the Hawaii Mill and Plantation Company. In 1933, the airfield was named "Suiter Field" by the U.S. Army in honor of 1st Lieutenant Wilbur C. Suiter of the [[135th Aero Squadron]]. On September 18, 1930, Governor's Executive Order No. 432 combined Territory of Hawaii land with the Suiter Field land to establish a territorial airport to be known as Upolu Airport.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/hawaii-airfields-airports/hawaii/upolu-airport/ |title = Upolu Airport |publisher= State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airports Division |accessdate = 2013-12-18}}</ref>

== Facilities and aircraft == As a general aviation airport, Upolu Airport has a single [[runway]] without taxiways and two aircraft parking areas south of the runway. The east parking area supports passenger terminal operations and the west parking area provides tie down facilities for general aviation aircraft. The airport does not have a control tower, aircraft rescue and fire fighting facilities, or discrete air cargo facilities. Access to the airport is provided by a roadway off [[Akoni Pule Highway]]. In the event of increased air traffic, the Hawai'i State Legislature has made preliminary plans to build a parallel taxiway south of the runway and to move the existing terminal facilities farther from the runway to provide improved clearances and additional aircraft parking.

The airport covers an area of {{convert|82|acre|ha|lk=on}} at an [[elevation]] of 96 feet (29 m) above [[mean sea level]]. It has one runway designated 7/25 with an [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]] surface measuring 3,800 by 75 feet (1,158 × 23 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 790 aircraft operations, an average of 65 per month: 89% [[general aviation]], 10% [[military aviation|military]] and 1% [[air taxi]].<ref name="FAA" />

== Authority == Upolu Airport is part of a centralized state structure governing all of the airports and seaports of Hawai'i. The official authority of Upolu Airport is the [[Governor of Hawaii|Governor of Hawai'i]] who appoints the director of the Hawai'i State Department of Transportation who has jurisdiction over the Hawai'i Airports Administrator.

The Hawai'i Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office and Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawai'i: [[Hawaii (island)|Hawai'i District]], [[Kauai|Kaua'i District]], [[Maui|Mau'i District]] and the principal [[Honolulu County, Hawaii|O'ahu District]]. Upolu Airport is a subordinate of the Hawai'i District officials.

==See also== * [[List of airports in Hawaii]]

== References == <references />

== External links == * [http://hawaii.gov/upp/ Hawaii DOT page for Upolu Airport] * {{US-airport-minor|UPP|UPP|PHUP}}

[[Category:Airports in Hawaii]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Hawaii County, Hawaii]] [[Category:Transportation in Hawaii County, Hawaii]] [[Category:Airports established in 1927]] [[Category:1927 establishments in Hawaii]] [[Category:Works Progress Administration in Hawaii]]