Honolulu Skyline Opens Airport Link To West Honolulu

Published on Oct 27, 2025, 3:01 pm CDT

4 min read

Key points

Honolulu opened Skyline's second segment on October 16, 2025, extending service from Aloha Stadium to West Honolulu with four new stations including the airport
Lelepaua Station links to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport via pedestrian bridges and marked pathways to Terminals 1, 2 and 3
Segment 2 spans a little over five miles and began passenger service at 4:00 a.m. HST with regular HOLO fare integration
The full Skyline corridor remains 18.9 miles with 19 stations planned, and the third segment through Chinatown, Downtown and Kakaako is targeted for completion and transfer by 2031

Impact

Opening Date: October 16, 2025
New Segment: Aloha Stadium to West Honolulu, 5.2 miles with four stations including Lelepaua (HNL)
Airport Access: Pedestrian bridges and walkways from Lelepaua Station to Terminals 1, 2, and 3
Fare Integration: HOLO card accepted with standard transfer rules
Total Corridor: 18.9 miles with 19 stations planned
Next Phase: Segment 3 to Chinatown, Downtown, and Kakaako targeted for 2031

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, extended its Skyline rail this month, opening the second segment from Aloha Stadium to West Honolulu on October 16, 2025. The expansion adds four stations, including Lelepaua at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), and launched passenger service at 4:00 a.m. HST with standard HOLO fares. For travelers, the new airport link offers a predictable, traffic-free option between HNL, Pearl Harbor, the stadium district, and Middle Street, with direct pedestrian connections to Terminals 1, 2, and 3. The city continues construction on the remaining portion of the 18.9-mile corridor toward Chinatown, Downtown, and Kakaako.

Honolulu Skyline airport segment

Segment 2 runs a little more than five miles from Hālawa (Aloha Stadium) to Kahauiki (Middle Street Transit Center), adding four stations: Makalapa, Lelepaua, Āhua, and Kahauiki. Lelepaua sits mauka of Terminal 2 and links to the Terminal 2 and International parking garages via elevated walkways, with marked paths to all three terminals. The design keeps wayfinding simple, reduces curb-front congestion, and gives visitors a clear rail-to-terminal path without crossing busy roadways. Service integrates with TheBus, so riders use the same HOLO card and fare rules across both systems.

The City and County of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services (DTS) emphasized that the airport opening comes with adjusted operating hours and bus connections to match early-morning flights. Adult single-ride fares remain $3.00, with free transfers under HOLO's standard window. Discounted fares apply for eligible riders. DTS also highlighted initial ridership tracking and special event service adjustments, signaling a tighter bus-rail network around the new stations.

Latest developments

City announcements in mid-October confirmed the airport segment's start of passenger operations on October 16, along with wayfinding details, walkway alignments to Terminals 1, 2, and 3, and initial service hours. HART's construction updates and route materials reaffirm the overall plan for 19 stations along an 18.9-mile elevated corridor on Oʻahu's south shore.

Analysis

For air travelers, the value is straightforward: a reliable rail option during peak traffic and an easier link to hotels and neighborhoods west of Downtown. Typical surface trips between the airport, Aloha Stadium, and Middle Street can slow to a crawl during rush periods; Skyline bypasses that variability. If you land at HNL, follow airport signage to Lelepaua's elevated connection from the Terminal 2 parking structure. The walk is covered, step-free via elevators, and leads directly to fare gates where HOLO is accepted. Allow a few extra minutes the first time you follow the route, especially if you are unfamiliar with the parking-garage connections.

Once aboard, trains provide consistent end-to-end times across the new stations, with predictable headways comparable to the first segment. Because the Downtown and Kakaako stations will not open until the next project phase, travelers headed to central Honolulu can ride Skyline to Middle Street, then connect to TheBus. That interim pattern keeps the airport link useful now while the city center guideway and stations advance through construction.

Background. Skyline's first 10-mile segment opened on June 30, 2023, between East Kapolei and Aloha Stadium. The second segment, a little over five miles, adds airport and Lagoon Drive access and brings rail closer to Honolulu's core. The full plan calls for 19 stations across 18.9 miles, with city center construction now underway. HART anticipates completing major Segment 3 guideway and stations in 2030, with transfer to DTS and public opening targeted by 2031, adding Chinatown, Downtown, and Kakaako to the rail map.

Final thoughts

Honolulu Skyline's new airport link gives visitors and residents a clean rail connection to HNL and West Honolulu today, while construction progresses toward Downtown and Kakaako by 2031. For travelers, that means a calmer airport arrival, clearer wayfinding, and one fare system across rail and bus, with more of Honolulu's core on deck when Segment 3 opens.