Flying to Maui may be an exciting experience, but navigating Kahului Airport (OGG) can feel overwhelming — especially if it’s your first time or you’re an infrequent traveler. We’ve compiled insider tips and essential information to make getting around Maui’s main airport a breeze.
Whether you’re flying in or departing from Maui’s OGG airport, here’s what you can expect at the Kahului Airport.
Catching a flight? Find out how early you should show up at Kahului Airport | Don’t Miss Your Flight Home: How Early You Need to be at Maui’s Kahului Airport
In this post:
- About OGG Airport
- Landing at Maui’s OGG Airport
- Ground transportation at Kahului Airport
- Services at OGG’s main terminal
- Shops and restaurants
- Check in and security
- Agricultural inspection
- Airport FAQ
About OGG Airport
Kahului Airport (OGG) is the primary airport on Hawaii’s island of Maui. Located in central Maui, OGG lies 25 miles east of Lahaina and 13 miles north of Kihei. According to data from the Hawaii Department of Transportation, more than 4.2 million air passengers departed from OGG in 2022, making the Maui Airport the second-busiest airport in Hawaii (behind Honolulu’s HNL Airport).
As the main hub for flights to and from Maui, OGG connects visitors to the island’s resorts, beaches, hiking trails, and cultural attractions. The airport features two terminals: the main terminal, where the majority of commercial flights depart and arrive; and the smaller commuter terminal with just two gates for local flights.
The airport is served by a variety of airlines, including major carriers such as Delta, American, Alaska, United, and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as smaller regional airlines. Along with overseas flights, the airport also serves as a hub for inter-island flights within Hawaii.
Landing at Maui’s OGG airport
Worried about where to go when you land on Maui? Luckily, Kahului Airport isn’t a maze like other larger airports. Here’s how to find your way out of the airport and where to go to find your chosen mode of transportation.
- When you disembark your flight, follow the signs to baggage claim.
- If you need to change or use the restroom, facilities are available along the way to baggage claim. The terminals are open air, so you’ll feel the change in weather temperature and humidity immediately after deboarding the plane.
- From your gate, you’ll eventually reach the airport’s central building. Look for a circular, open air room. You’ll find Starbucks and several gift shops in this space.
- After you reach the central building, take the escalator, stairs, or elevator down one level to the baggage claim area.
- Just before you reach baggage claim, you’ll pass the airport greeting area. If you’ve arranged a lei greeting or car service that meets you at the baggage claim, you’ll find them either here or in the baggage claim area.
- Find your bags on the luggage conveyor belt that displays your flight number. There’s no need to rush — it can take a while for luggage to start coming out of the baggage claim chute.
- Once you’ve collected your bags, head to the designated spot for your chosen mode of transportation.
Ground transportation at Kahului Airport
Once you’ve collected all of your luggage, here’s where to go to find your ride and get your Maui vacation started.
- Rideshare. If you’re booking a ride with a rideshare company such as Uber, Lyft, or locally based holoholo, Kahului Airport has set aside a designated zone for such pickups. From the baggage claim area, walk to the curbside pickup area and turn right. Look for the rideshare pickup signs. You’ll find the rideshare pickup area where the road bends.
- Rental car. To pick up a car rental from an onsite rental car agency, you’ll need to make your way to CONRAC — Kahului Airport’s Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility. It’s an 8-minute walk to the center, but most visitors find taking the tram more convenient. From the baggage claim area, walk across the road to the tram pickup area. Step aboard the green airport tram to make the short journey to the CONRAC building and pick up your car.
- Curbside pickup. If you’ve arranged for a friend or car service to pick you up curbside, simply walk out of the baggage claim area and onto the sidewalk. Curbside pickup lies directly outside of the baggage claim area.
- Shuttle and taxi service. Both the Maui Airport Shuttle Service counter and taxi booth are located at the baggage claim area.
Services at OGG’s main terminal
Maui’s Kahului Airport possesses many of the typical services you’d expect from a regional U.S. airport.
Visitor desk. If you need assistance, look for the Visitor Information signs. The desks are staffed from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. You’ll find them in different parts of the airport, including the central building rotunda and near baggage claim.
Locker storage. There are no baggage storage and locker facilities available at Kahului Airport.
ATM machines. If you’re in need of quick cash, you’ll find bank teller machines in the ticketing area, at baggage claim, and in the central building rotunda.
Airport lounge. Kahului Airport offers just one lounge: The Kahului Premier Club by Hawaiian Airlines. Located next to gate 17, the Premier Club is touted as a relaxing sanctuary away from the airport crowds. However, we weren’t terribly impressed with the small space. We spotted a coffee, tea, and soda station — but no food or snacks. If it isn’t busy, stop in to enjoy the air conditioning and complimentary WiFi.
Luggage carts. Bringing lots of bags? Luggage carts are available near the baggage claim (for a fee).
Internet access. The airport offers free WiFi access when using your own device. Connect to the network OGG Free Wi-Fi.
Internet terminals are also available for use at the airport’s second level of the main terminal (at a cost of $0.20 per minute). Look for internet terminals at these locations:
- Hawaiian Airlines service area
- Gate 9
- Gate 15
- Gate 21B
- Gate 33
- Gate 35
While there isn’t a lot of ground to explore at OGG, the Maui airport offers a number of dining and shopping options.
Shops and restaurants at Kahului Airport
Shops
Whether you’re simply killing time before your flight or frantically searching for a last-minute gift, the Maui Airport offers several shops for perusing.
- Airport Newsstand
- DFS Hawaii Kahului Airport
- Island Shoppers (gates 17-27)
- Kahului Trading Co.
- Maui Divers Jewelry (gates 17-27)
- Pineapple Country
Restaurants and Sundry
- Burger King (central building)
- California Pizza Kitchen (central building)
- DFS Hawaii Kahului Airport
- Frankly Gourmet (central building)
- Kanaha Beer Kiosk (gates 29-39)
- Maui Snack Bar (gates 1-15)
- Pinkberry (central building)
- Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill (central building)
- Starbucks Coffee (central building and near baggage claim)
- Stinger Ray’s Tropical Bar & Grill (near gate 23)
- The Old Plantation Store (gates 17-27)
Check in and security procedures
Navigating your way through airport check in and security screening is a necessary part of commercial air travel. If you’re not a frequent flyer, these are our tips for making your travel day a smooth one.
Agricultural inspection at Kahului Airport
Airline passengers are prohibited from entering or departing from OGG with certain agricultural items, which may harbor pests or disease. As such, passengers may be subject to inspection prior to landing at or departing from Kahului Airport.
Arriving passengers
Incoming airline passengers arriving at OGG airport must declare plants, animals, and agricultural items prior to leaving airport grounds. Your airline will distribute and collect the required declaration form while in-flight, prior to landing on the island.
Departing passengers
Agricultural inspection is also required for passengers departing from OGG and landing in the continental U.S.
The airline will not accept checked luggage without an agricultural inspection sticker. Inspection stations are located near the airport’s curbside departure drop-off area, in front of the airline customer service counters. At the inspection station, you’re required to load your bag onto the x-ray machine conveyor belt. Once your bag receives an inspection sticker, you may proceed to the airline’s luggage desk to drop off your bag(s).
Certain agricultural products (such as pineapples) are acceptable to take with you. Simply declare all agricultural items to the inspectors. For more information on what is allowed, review this guide from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Online check-in options and baggage drop off
Note: If your destination flight lands in the continental U.S., you must pass through agricultural inspection and have your bag tagged by the inspector prior to checking your bag with the airline. Avoid waiting in line twice! Trust me, I’ve seen it happen more than once.
With the exception of Mokulele Airlines (which doesn’t issue boarding passes), all of the airlines that depart from OGG Airport offer mobile check in and digital boarding passes — saving you time at the airline service counter.
Many airlines also offer luggage kiosks that allow you to self-tag your bags before dropping them off with the airline service desk. Tagging your own bag could save you a few precious minutes if you’re running late or the security line looks particularly long.
Pro tip: If you’re departing on an early morning flight, double-check your airline’s customer counter hours before you head to the airport. If you get to the airport too early, you may have to wait to check your bags. While Hawaiian Airlines opens at 5:00 a.m., Alaska Airlines doesn’t open their OGG customer counter until 8:10 a.m.
TSA PreCheck
For a faster and smoother airport security experience, we highly recommend signing up for TSA’s PreCheck program. According to the Transportation Security Administration, 89% of TSA PreCheck passengers had a wait time of less than five minutes in March 2023.
From our personal experience, PreCheck wait times at OGG are typically five minutes or less. Kahului Airport has a separate queue and screening area for PreCheck participants. On a recent flight from OGG, we encountered only one other person in line ahead of us. Our wait was less than 30 seconds to get to the screening area, and only a few minutes for actual screening of our persons and carry-on bags.
Along with a shorter wait time, PreCheck passengers aren’t generally required to remove their shoes, belts, liquids, or large tech devices such as laptops from their bags. For information on how to apply and the fee involved, contact TSA PreCheck.
Airport FAQ
Which airport do you fly into for Maui?
Maui’s main airport is the Kahului (OGG) Airport, which receives air traffic from both interisland and U.S. mainland flights. Maui also has two smaller airports: West Maui’s Kapalua Airport and East Maui’s Hana Airport.
Why is Maui Airport called OGG?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) three-letter location identifier for Kahului Airport is OGG. The IATA code hails from former Hawaiian Airlines pilot James Hogg. As Chief Pilot for the airline, Hogg flew so many test flights that it was decided that the facility be named in his honor.
Is there air conditioning at Kahului Airport?
You’ll find that portions of the airport at Kahului have air conditioning — primarily at the airline gates and the Hawaiian Airlines lounge. However, the airport itself is open air, meaning that you’ll feel the ambient outdoor temperature through most of the airport, including at the check-in desks, security screening, baggage claim, and central building.
Is OGG a big airport?
Kahului Airport averages just over 140 departure flights per day (per Flightradar24), and the regional airport is considered a small airport. OGG’s main terminal contains 16 departure gates, while the commuter terminal has 2 departure gates. Compare these figures with Atlanta (ATL) Airport, the busiest in the U.S. ATL averages just over 1,000 departures per day (per Flightradar 24) with 192 gates (according to Travel + Leisure).
Does Kahului Airport have Clear?
As of 2023, no Hawaii airport has a partnership with CLEAR for expedited security screening. OGG does, however, have a TSA PreCheck line.
