Mauna Kea-Honolii Airport

The exact reason is not officially documented, but it is presumed to be for economic reasons. As a small, private airfield, it likely ceased operations when it was no longer financially viable for its owners. This is a common fate for small general aviation fields, especially when the land becomes more valuable for other uses (like agriculture or development) or the associated business closes down.

The site is completely abandoned and the former runway is heavily overgrown with trees and other vegetation. The faint outline of the runway is still visible in satellite imagery, but it is entirely unusable. The land is privately owned and is surrounded by agricultural and residential properties. It has effectively returned to nature.

Honolii Airfield, also known as Mauna Kea-Honolii Airport, was a private general aviation airport established sometime between 1946 and 1954. Its primary known use was by Mauna Kea Motors, which operated an air taxi service with Cessna aircraft from the single-runway field. It served as a small, local air link for private transport and possibly tourism, operating independently from the main Hilo International Airport located a few miles to the south.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The land is privately held, and its proximity to the much larger and fully-equipped Hilo International Airport (PHTO) negates any practical need for its reactivation. The significant cost required to clear the land, rebuild the infrastructure, and meet modern aviation standards makes its reopening as an airfield highly improbable.