FAA awards $8.6M for Kahului Airport TSA security screening checkpoint facility

The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding $30.6 million to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation for improvements at two Hawai‘i airports—the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and the Kahului Airport on Maui.

The award includes $8.6 million to Kahului Airport for construction of a new two-story security screening checkpoint facility at the south end of the ticket lobby (South TSA Checkpoint). The facility will include six new TSA screening lanes. A pedestrian bridge over the existing service road will connect the new checkpoint facility to Hold Room A.

A separate allocation for the Maui project was announced in July of 2023. At the time, DOT officials said the Kahului project would cost $62.3 million, with work expected to begin in the summer of 2024 and completed by the end of 2025.

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport receives $22 million, with funds to be used for concrete spalling repairs to the Terminal 2 roadway for the Wiki Wiki shuttle, expansion of passenger sidewalks, and improvements to lighting and electrical systems at the Diamond Head Concourse.

In fiscal year 2023, FAA awarded HDOT $10 million for Phase 1 of the HNL Terminal 2 roadway project, and $1.2 million to replace the airport fire alarm system at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole.

The awards are part of $970 million in grants for fiscal year 2024 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that the Biden Administration announced to improve airports across the country.

“We appreciate the support of the Biden Administration, the FAA, and our congressional delegation to dedicate Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds toward our ongoing efforts to modernize Hawai‘i’s airports,” said Hawai‘i Director of Transportation Ed Sniffen. “This investment in our airports will allow us to continue to improve operational efficiencies, prioritize safety, security and accessibility, and enhance the overall airport experience for visitors and residents.”

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation said, “This new federal funding will support necessary upgrades at Honolulu and Kahului airports that will make it easier and faster for passengers to get through the airport and to their final destination.”