Hawaii Aviation

Honolulu International Airport was the fourth busiest airport in the U.S. in the 1950s due to the increase in commercial aviation with passengers arriving from the Mainland and foreign countries. HNL handled the largest number of military aircraft movements of any civilian facility in the world due to the Korean conflict. This resulted in tremendous congestion in both the terminal and airfield and design began of a new terminal on the North Ramp.

Hickam Air Force Base completed its section of 5,417 feet of runway in May 1951, joining with 7,650 feet of HNL runway to form a continuous runway of 13,067 feet which became instrument Runway 8-26. This helped with capacity problems during the Korean Airlift. A new Control Tower opened at Hickam on May 24, 1954 for MATS operations.

Airports on the island of Maui were located at Hana, Puunene and Kahului in the 1950s.

Airports were located at Lihue and Port Allen in the 1950s.

Airports on the island of Hawaii were General Lyman Field in Hilo, Kona, Morse Field at South Point and Upolu Point in the 1950s.

Lanai had an airport in the 1950s.

There were two airports on the island of Molokai in the 1950, one at Kalaupapa and the other at Kaunakakai.

Other airports located on the island of Oahu in the 1950s were Naval Air Station Kaneohe, Bellows, Kipapa, and Kahuku.

Includes photos of an airport master plan, Waikiki, railroads and Honolulu Harbor.