Car Rental at Hilo Airport

Airport travel guide

Hilo International Airport is one of the two airports on the island of Hawai’i (the Big Island). It is located on the Hilo coast on the eastern side of the island. The other airport, Kona International Airport is on the western side of the island. Though Hilo used to be the main gateway to the island, Kona Airport is now much larger and busier. Hilo is still a quaint airport that is a pleasure for those who do travel through it. Due to having much fewer passengers, airport security is much quicker making the process of dropping off a rental car through boarding your plane a breeze. 

For more about what to do and tips, check out this Hilo guide.

Top air routes

• Honolulu
• Kahului

Main airlines

Hawaiian Airlines provides many daily connections to Honolulu on Oahu and daily connections to Kahului on Maui.

Terminals

The airport is a small island airport and therefore only has one terminal. That terminal has 7 gates (numbered 3 to 9) which are split into three sections. Hawaiian Airlines uses gates 5,6 and 7, while United uses gates 3 and 4.

Location

Hilo Airport is located on the Hilo Coast on the eastern side of the island. The rest of the eastern part of the island is within easy reach of the airport.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $71 per day
• Medium cars - from $68 per day
• Large cars - from $69 per day
• SUVs - from $76 per day
• Vans - from $135 per day
• Premium cars - from $173 per day

Car rental desks

The rental desks are located across the street from the arrivals area of the terminal. The cars in the parking garage next to the desks so. Everything is within a short walk and no shuttle is needed at any point.

Services and facilities

Though the unimaginative pun for it may have long ago lost its humor, lei greeting is still a popular, culturally relevant tradition in Hawaii. Visitors can organize, or someone can organize for them, a lei greeting service to welcome them to the islands. Alternatively, there are two flower stands.

While there is no hotel at the airport, there are many located a short drive away from it. Many of them don’t provide an airport shuttle, but a taxi ride should not be expensive if you want to drop your rental car off a day earlier.

Being a smaller airport, there is not as large of a selection of dining and shopping as there would be in larger airports. There is a newsstand, a gift shop, and two restaurants.

There is one ATM but there is no currency exchange available at the airport. Currency can be exchanged if transiting through the Honolulu Airport, but using an ATM or paying with your card most often provide better rates.

Visitor Information desks are located in the arrivals and departures areas and provide visitors with all of the information they need regarding travel and accommodation.

Nearest gas station

There are multiple gas stations along the main roads to the airport when approaching along all the main roads. The nearest is an Aloha Island Mart located at the intersection with Highway 11 and Airport Road. The cheapest fuel you are likely to find is at the Safeway on Makaala Street and about three miles south of the airport.