Hawaii Airport Gets New Life — General Aviation News

HONOLULU — A new 50-year lease at Kawaihāpai Airfield (PHDH), formerly known as Dillingham Airfield, ensures the airport’s continued operation.

According to officials with the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), the lease agreement went into effect on July 6, 2024, resolving many of the issues that were endangering the airport.

“This new 50-year lease ensures that Kawaihāpai Airfield will remain open for commercial operations and will continue to serve as a critical economic resource for the Oʻahu North Shore community,” said HDOT Director Ed Sniffen. “This was a collaborative effort that brought together the state, Army Garrison Hawaiʻi, Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District, local businesses, elected officials and community members, all focused on a common goal: ensuring the continued operation of Kawaihāpai Airfield.”

“Kawaihāpai Airfield plays a vital role in civilian and military aircraft training and a vital role in a healthy, diversified economy,” said Governor Josh Green. “I am proud that as a state, we can continue to work with the various stakeholders in Dillingham as a resource for civil aviation and achieve a shared solution for water delivery.”

Over the past 10 years, HDOT and the Army have worked to resolve leasing-related issues that prevented HDOT from receiving federal funding for Kawaihāpai Airfield.

In July 2023, HDOT formally notified the Army that the state could not continue to operate the airport unless three critical issues were resolved. HDOT, the Army Garrison Hawai’i, and the Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District worked together to reach agreements on each of these conditions.

First, HDOT needed a long-term lease and joint-use agreement so that HDOT could remain eligible for federal grants to support infrastructure improvements and to continue deferred maintenance work to support ongoing civil operations.

Second, HDOT needed a new lease that would provide sufficient rights and authority to meet the department’s obligations under federal law and federal grants, HDOT officials said.

The third condition stated that HDOT would continue to have access to the water it needs to operate and maintain the airport, but HDOT would no longer be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Dillingham Public Water System (PWS).

The Dillingham PWS serves airport tenants and about 30 water users, including some residents and Camp Erdman, a YMCA camp. Historically, HDOT has maintained oversight of the airport’s water system, but continuing to do so would not meet federal funding requirements, HDOT officials explained.

In support of the new lease, the Army has entered into a separate five-year license with Aqua Engineers to operate the Dillingham PWS. This new arrangement ensures that service will continue to current water users, both at the airfield and in the nearby community, HDOT officials said.

Within the five-year term of the permit, the Army will work with Aqua Engineers to enter into a long-term agreement for the continued operation of the Dillingham PWS.

Kawaihāpai Airfield is part of the Dillingham Military Reservation, an active U.S. Army installation, and is leased by the U.S. Army to HDOT for the operation of a joint military/civil airfield. The priorities for use of Kawaihāpai Airfield are military flight operations, military ground maneuvers, and civilian aviation and sport parachute operations, HDOT officials noted.

The military routinely conducts exercises that require the use of the airfield for ground training and aviation purposes, including helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and cargo aircraft. The military also hosts the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, a large-scale training exercise, at the airfield, which plays a critical role in ensuring regional combat readiness, state officials noted.

The airport’s civilian-owned businesses cater to visitors and local customers for their recreational aviation interests, including gliding, freefall parachuting, sightseeing and occasional trips to neighboring islands.

For more information: Hawaii.gov