Kailua-Kona (KOA) to Lihue, Kauai (LIH)
Flight time
≈ 1h 20m
Bearing
307° NW
Kailua-Kona (KOA) to Lihue, Kauai (LIH) is 263 miles (423 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies KOA–LIH
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, Alaska Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop KOA–LIH; the Boeing 717-200 was the most common aircraft at 97% of departures; flights ran 76% full.
Departures
63
May 2026
Seats
8,003
both directions
Passengers
6,089
both directions
Load factor
76.1%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies KOA–LIH?
Alaska Airlines operated the most nonstop KOA–LIH departures in May 2026 (62), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- AS
62 departures · 7,997 seats
Share of departures98.4%76.1%
Load
- LNY
Lanai Air
1 departures · 6 seats
Share of departures1.6%33.3%
Load
What plane flies KOA–LIH?
In May 2026, the Boeing 717-200 flew 97% of KOA–LIH departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 717-200
61 departures · 76.6% load
96.8% - Pilatus PC-12
1 departures · 33.3% load
1.6% - Airbus A321neo
1 departures · 57.1% load
1.6%
How has KOA–LIH traffic changed?
Nonstop KOA–LIH departures rose from 60 in June 2025 to 63 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop KOA–LIH traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
60 departures · 6,555 passengers
85.4%
Load
July 2025
62 departures · 7,055 passengers
88.9%
Load
August 2025
62 departures · 7,262 passengers
91.5%
Load
September 2025
60 departures · 6,125 passengers
79.8%
Load
October 2025
61 departures · 6,457 passengers
82.7%
Load
November 2025
60 departures · 5,243 passengers
68.3%
Load
December 2025
62 departures · 5,668 passengers
71.4%
Load
January 2026
62 departures · 6,095 passengers
79.9%
Load
February 2026
57 departures · 5,734 passengers
84.6%
Load
March 2026
61 departures · 5,381 passengers
71.7%
Load
April 2026
60 departures · 5,662 passengers
76.7%
Load
May 2026
63 departures · 6,089 passengers
76.1%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
KOA → LIH
77.0% full
32 departures · 3,105 passengers
LIH → KOA
75.2% full
31 departures · 2,984 passengers
Nonstop KOA–LIH traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Kailua-Kona
US
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole
Coordinates
19.74°N, 156.05°W
Hemisphere
N · W
Frequently asked
How far is Kailua-Kona (KOA) from Lihue, Kauai (LIH)?
KOA to LIH is 263 miles (423 km / 228 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from KOA to LIH?
A nonstop covers the 263-mile great-circle distance in roughly 1h 20m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies KOA–LIH?
In May 2026, the Boeing 717-200 flew the largest share of departures (96.8%), followed by the Pilatus PC-12 (1.6%).
What mileage do I earn flying KOA–LIH?
Distance-based programs credit off the 263-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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