The next time you fly into Honolulu you’ll be landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
The name change from Honolulu International Airport was made without much fanfare.
A formal ceremony on a yet unannounced date is being planned in coordination with the Senator’s family.
Inouye is a World War II Purple Heart Veteran. He fought for the Japanese American 442nd Infantry Regiment and served as Hawaii’s U.S. Senator for nearly 50 years from 1963 until his death in 2012.
KHON was the first to report the name change.
The name change was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration at the request of lawmakers.
“We had to find a landmark that maybe had the importance, so for a long time, people thought of various buildings and public structures, but it seems that the airport really maintains that level of authority,” said Rep. Tom Brower, D, Waikiki, Ala Moana.
Officially the abbreviation for the airport will remain the same, HNL.
Residents told KITV they were surprised by the change.
“I had no idea that they changed it from Honolulu International Airport,” Local resident Pat Campisano said.
The change will take some getting used to for some.
“I think it’s gonna take a lot of people a long time until they start really, you know, basically naming it after Senator Inouye even though he is well known in the community and internationally,” Fawwaz Jubran said.
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