Kaanapali Airport was a small regional airport located on the northwest end of Maui

Maui

The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

, near the city of Lahaina and north of Kaanapali Beach

Kaanapali, Hawaii

Kāanapali is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,375 at the 2000 census. The master-planned town is located in the Old Hawaii ahupuaa of Hanakao`o, as in the same name of the southern end of Kaanapali Beach's Hanakao`o Canoe...

 in Honokōwai

Napili-Honokowai, Hawaii

Nāpili-Honokōwai is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 6,788 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nāpili-Honokōwai is located at ....

. The airport serviced West Maui between 1965 and its closure in 1986.

History

The exact date of the airport's construction is unknown, but was presumably it was built to transport workers to develop Kaanapali int a resort by Amfac, Inc. around 1961.
It was not shown on the 1951 USGS topographic map.

Commercial Aviation Service

Royal Hawaiian Air Service was the only commuter airline authorized to use the airport, although Federal Express also used it. According to one private pilot, the airport "had no markings to indicate that it was restricted or private use only, (but when) my wife and I landed a rented Piper Cherokee on this airstrip in August 1970 while on our honeymoon... we were not well received and were politely but firmly asked to leave." The airport was one of the most challenging locations to fly because of its short 2700 feet (823 m) runway, which began just beyond Kaanapali Beach and cut a narrow swath through high green sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

 fields. Because the airport was near the edge of a wind shadow, where the West Maui Mountains shielded the airport from the trade winds, the winds at the airport could range from calm to breezy depending on the wind direction.

Around 1983, Royal Hawaiian acquired two DeHavilland Twin Otters

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...

, which flew nearly exclusively on the Honolulu to Kaanapali route. While the aircraft carried more passengers than the Cessna 402

Cessna 402

The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...

s that the airline routinely used, they were vulnerable to gusty winds and would not be used for the route on particularly windy days.

Airport Closure

In 1986 the airport was closed to make room for a planned hotel project. A new airport was built inland of the Hawaii Route 30 on land of the Maui Land & Pineapple Company

Maui Land & Pineapple Company

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. is a land holding and operating company founded in 1909 and based in Maui, Hawaii, United States. It owns approximately on the island of Maui. It develops, sells, and manages residential, resort, commercial and industrial real estate; and operates retail, golf...

. It was named the Kapalua-West Maui Airport

Kapalua Airport

Kapalua Airport , also known as Kapalua West Maui Airport, is a regional airport on the west side of the island of Maui. It is located northwest of Lahaina, in Maui County, Hawaii, United States....

 for the Kapalua Resort

Kapalua Resort

Kapalua Resort is a golf and beach resort in Kapalua, Hawaii on the northwest shore of the island of Maui near Lahaina, Hawaii.-Description:Surrounded by from the verdant mountain ridges and summit of Puu Kukui to lava rock bays, Kapalua Resort is set amidst two nature preserves and former...

 owned by the same parent company.
The beach front of the old airfield site is now the new Honua Kai condominium complex, as well as the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas timeshare complex. Public access is via the small Alii Kahekili Nui Ahumanu Beach Park, known as Airport Beach.

On March 1, 1987, Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...

started to service West Maui at the new airport.
Royal Hawaiian Air Service ceased operations soon afterward, as Kaanapali had been its main profit source.