A new lounge is lifting off at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Hawaiian Airlines has started construction of its new, nearly 13,000-square-foot premium lounge, which will be located at the entrance of the airport's Mauka Concourse. The milestone was recently marked with a blessing ceremony.
"Our guests are increasingly looking for premium experiences throughout their journey, from the airport to our cabins, and across our network," Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Our new Honolulu lounge will offer a relaxing and memorable experience that feels distinctly Hawaiian Airlines. It’s also part of our ongoing investments in lounges at our hubs in Seattle, Portland and San Diego so our guests can enjoy an elevated, premium pre-flight experience wherever their travels take them."
According to an announcement Monday, the new lounge — set to open in the first half of 2028 — will welcome about 200 guests and offer an "elevated standard of preflight comfort."
Here, the airline says, travelers will find locally inspired food and beverages, a signature local coffee experience, a full-service bar with handcrafted cocktails, private workspaces and gathering areas, artwork and installations celebrating Hawai‘i artists and more.
"It will expand the company's existing HNL portfolio, which currently includes the Plumeria Lounge and six Premier Clubs across the Islands," the airline says. "The new lounge also complements Hawaiian's recently unveiled premium Leihōkū experience."
The lounge is part of Hawaiian's $600 million Kahu‘ewai Hawai‘i Investment Plan, announced earlier this year. The plan also includes upgrades to Hawaiian's airport lobbies and gates across the Islands, a premium interior retrofit of its Airbus A330 fleet, technology improvements for travelers and exclusive deals for residents who are enrolled in Huaka‘i by Hawaiian, along with other sustainability and community investments, the airline said in the announcement.
Da Silva, however, says that that airline is not disclosing the cost of individual investments.
"The Honolulu lounge, along with the retrofit of our Airbus A330s and renovations to our airport lobbies and gate areas statewide, all represent significant investments within the broader Kahu‘ewai plan," he says.
Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. announced in December 2023 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was completed in September 2024.
Last month, Alaska Air Group unveiled plans to invest in the premium travel experience for both the Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines brands.
For Hawaiian, that means new interiors for its A330 widebody aircraft, a fleet of 24 that serves destinations in Asia, Oceania and select North America routes, an announcement from the airline noted at that time. That work begins in 2028 and includes 22 Leihōkū Suites for travelers on international business class and domestic first-class flights, ASD reported then. You can read more about Leihōkū here.
As for the new lounge, Da Silva says Hawaiian doesn't anticipate any impact to the lobby flow during construction.
"The work area will eventually be enclosed so construction can take place out of view, and we look forward to unveiling the finished lounge when it's ready to welcome guests," he told ASD.
(And ICYMI: Diana Birkett Rakow was named CEO of Hawaiian in September 2025 and stepped into the role on Oct. 29, 2025. ASD recently caught up Birkett Rakow to discuss the challenges and changes during her first year in the role. You can read that here).
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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