Car Rental at Kahului Airport

Airport travel guide

Kahului Airport is a regional airport located near the town of Kahului on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The majority of flight to and from the airport are between it and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. 

Maui is the second-most visited island of Hawaii behind Oahu where the capital is located. The island has numerous resorts and hotels and some of the best beaches in the state. Though sometimes known as the island of the rich and famous, there are many opportunities for those with lower budgets too. It is also known for Haleakala National Park named after the volcanic crater contained within it. The road between the national park and the town of Hana is considered to be the most scenic drive in the state. Some of Maui’s most-loved beaches include Kamaole I, II and III Beach Parks, Makena State Park, and Ka’anapali Beach. You can find more of the island's best attractions in this guide to things to do on Maui.

Most travelers will transit through Honolulu to reach Maui. Since there are no ferries from the island of Oahu, travelers must arrive by air and Kahului Airport is where they are most likely to land. Rental cars are available at the airport and are all but completely necessary for travelers. 

Though Hawaii’s main gateway from the mainland U.S. is Honolulu International, there are a number of direct flights from the mainland to Maui’s Kahului Airport. This includes those from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Jose, and Oakland.  

Top international routes

• Honolulu
• Kaunakakai
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Lihue
• Kailua–Kona
• Lanai
• Vancouver
• Oakland

Main airlines

Most international flights to Hawaii land at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. However, Air Canada and Westjet fly to Kahului Airport from Vancouver. Westjet also has seasonal routes from Calgary and Edmonton. Hawaiian Airlines has by far the largest share of passengers at Kahului Airport. United, Alaska, American, Southwest, and Delta Airlines all also serve a significant number of passengers.

Terminals

The airport has one Main Terminal. There are 39 gates in total, though only about 16 are used regularly.
There is also a much smaller Commuter Terminal that serves as a base for Mokulele Airlines, both of which operate interisland flights with small aircraft. Makani Kai is unique in that its flights have a flat fare across flights regardless of the date or time.

Location

Kahului Airport is located just east of the city of Kahului which itself is located in the center of the northern coast. To reach the resort areas of Lahaina and Kaanapali, where most travelers stay, exit the airport and follow Route 380 until you reach Route 30 and then turn left. If heading to Kihei or Wailea instead, follow the same directions, turning onto Route 310 shortly after reaching Route 30. Either way, expect the drive to take 30-45 minutes.

Most popular types of rental car

• Large cars - from $50 per day
• Small cars - from $48 per day
• Medium cars - from $56 per day
• SUVs - from $66 per day
• Convertibles - from $84 per day
• Vans - from $96 per day

Car rental desks

Most suppliers have rental desks at the airport. This includes National. These desks can be found in the rental car building which can be reached via a walkway connected to the baggage claim area.

Sixt does not have a rental desk at the airport. It is, instead, located just outside of the airport and the company provides a free shuttle to its location.

Europcar does not have a desk serving the airport but instead uses its partner Advantage for pick up and drop off. The Advantage office can be reached with a shuttle from the airport.

Services and facilities

Though the unimaginative pun for it may have long ago lost its humor, the 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 flower shops in the airport building where travelers can purchase leis.

While there is no hotel at the airport, a Courtyard hotel is located just outside. Alternatively, the Maui Seaside Hotel and the Maui Beach Hotel are slightly further away. All of these hotels provide free daily shuttles to and from the airport.

Being a smaller airport, there is not as large of a selection of dining and shopping as there would be in larger airports. However, there are fast food chains such as Burger King and California Pizza Kitchen. There is also Stinger Ray’s Tropical Bar and Grill in the Main Terminal. Starbucks has two locations, one in the Central Building of the Main Terminal and the other in the Baggage Claim area.

There are ATMs 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 throughout the airport and provide visitors with all of the information they need regarding travel and accommodation.

Nearest gas station

The nearest gas station to the airport when dropping off a rental vehicle is Costco Gasoline located at 540 Haleakala Hwy which is just outside the airport itself.i. An additional benefit is that it is usually the cheapest gas station in the area. But given such and its location, expect to wait in line for a pump. If you don’t want to wait in line, perhaps the Aloha Island Mart off of Airport Road is a good alternative, though do expect prices to be significantly higher.