Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport Terminal 3 Map (Most Up-To-Date)
Terminal 3 at KOA is a small, detached commuter building sitting south of the main open-air terminal pavilions, with everything happening at ground level along the Kupipi Street loop. The layout is wide, sun-exposed, and crosswalk-dependent, so “handoff zones” (bag drop → security → shuttles) decide whether your timing holds. Terminal 3 is not inside the main Kona airport complex, so route-checking matters more than intuition.
Map Table
| Zone | Primary Use | Key Adjacent Nodes | Access Reality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main terminal (T1/T2) | Ticketing, TSA, most gates | Lobbies 1–3, central checkpoint, Gates 1–10 | Open-air pavilions, no jet bridges |
| Terminal 3 | Commuter flights | T3 ticket counter, small holding area | Detached, no airside connector |
| Rental-car shuttle median | Rental shuttle pickup | Center median gazebos, crosswalks | Across roadway, uncovered |
| Kupipi Street loop | Landside circulation | Curbside, parking, shuttles | One-way roadway loop |
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport Terminal 3 Map Strategy
- Expect KOA’s time reliability to fail at handoff zones: treat bag-tag/bag-drop, TSA entry, rental shuttles, and Terminal 3 access as separate missions with their own buffers.
- Route by verified nodes, not “it’s all one terminal”: Terminal 3 is outside the main flow, and there’s no post-security connector back to Terminals 1/2.
- Use crosswalk-first planning to cut volatility: know which crosswalk gets you from Baggage Claim A/B to the center-median gazebos, because the walk is short but fully uncovered.
- Beat the open-air tax (heat/rain) with layout choices: do your food/seating prep in the main terminal before committing to Terminal 3, since T3 amenities are minimal and the approach is exposed.
2026 Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport Terminal 3 Map + Printable PDF
Current KOA operations still hinge on the same ground-level, open-air circulation: short but exposed crosswalk moves for rentals, a centralized TSA flow for the main concourses, and a physically separate Terminal 3 that behaves like its own outpost. For 2026, the “printable map” value is highlighting exact nodes (lobbies, crosswalks, gazebos) so line volatility and weather exposure don’t break your timeline.
2026 Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport Terminal 3 Map Guide
What is the exact walking route (and distance) from Baggage Claim A/B to the center-median rental car shuttle pickup across the street?
The walk is about 100–150 feet total from Baggage Claim A or B to the center-median rental-car shuttle gazebos, using a single marked crosswalk across the inner access road. From either baggage pavilion, exit to the curbside sidewalk facing the roadway loop, then walk straight to the nearest painted pedestrian crosswalk. Cross the two-lane inner access road into the center median, and continue a few steps to the gazebo cluster where rental shuttles stop. The key landmark is the median gazebo area directly opposite the baggage claim frontage—if you’re not standing in the median by the gazebos, you’re not at the pickup point.
Where exactly is the rental-car shuttle drop-off point for returns relative to the departures/check-in area (closest crosswalk/entrance)?
The rental-car return shuttles drop at the curb directly in front of the central ticketing lobbies, within about 100 feet of the nearest airline check-in counters. The closest entry is whichever lobby doorway lines up with your airline (Lobbies 1–3 are the main reference set), using the immediate curb-to-lobby crosswalks in front of those entrances. After stepping off the shuttle, walk straight to the nearest marked crosswalk and cross into the lobby entrance you can see directly ahead; you should be facing the check-in pavilion doors, not the baggage claim side. If you can’t see the lobby entrances from where you’re standing, you’re at the wrong curb.
Where is Terminal 3 located relative to the “main” KOA terminal areas, and what is the shortest pedestrian route to reach it from the primary check-in/security flow?
Terminal 3 is a detached commuter building about 1,500 feet south of the main KOA ticketing/security pavilions, outside the primary Terminal 1/2 pedestrian flow. The shortest walking route starts at the central ticketing lobbies (Lobbies 1–3) near the main check-in area: exit the lobby frontage to the landside sidewalk, then head south along the pedestrian sidewalk that parallels Kupipi Street (the airport loop road). Stay on the same sidewalk line as you pass the Onizuka Space Center area and general aviation/cargo frontage, continuing south until you reach the Terminal 3 building at 73-350 Uʻu Street. The route is primarily uncovered, and there is no post-security connector—Terminal 3 is reached landside only.
What is the exact walking distance from Terminal 3 to the nearest main-terminal bag drop/check-in counters (point-to-point)?
The walk is approximately 1,500 feet from the Terminal 3 ticket counter to the nearest main-terminal bag drop/check-in counters at the central ticketing lobbies (Lobbies 1–3). The direct point-to-point route is landside: exit Terminal 3 to the sidewalk, walk north along the pedestrian sidewalk that parallels Kupipi Street toward the main terminal frontage, and enter the first main ticketing lobby doors you reach (the closest of Lobbies 1–3). This path is mostly uncovered, so the practical time cost expands when carrying bags in heat or rain, even though the distance itself is fixed.
Where are the luggage tag kiosks / bag tag printing stations located, and what is the shortest route from curbside drop-off to reach them?
The luggage tag kiosks are inside the central ticketing lobbies, positioned in the middle of the check-in pavilion area near the airline counters. From curbside drop-off, the shortest route is straight through the lobby entrance doors for your airline in the main terminal frontage (Lobbies 1–3), then continue roughly 50 feet into the lobby toward the central kiosk banks. Use the adjacent landmark of the airline check-in counter line: the kiosks sit just before or alongside the queue start points, so you should see counter signage and bag-drop lanes within a few steps of the kiosks. If you’re outdoors or past the lobby roofline, you’ve gone the wrong way.
What is the exact route (and distance) from the checked-bag line area to the TSA checkpoint entrance that minimizes backtracking?
The shortest route is about 150–200 feet from the back of the checked-bag line area in the main ticketing lobbies to the centralized TSA checkpoint entrance by following the “To Gates” path straight toward the central screening building. From the end of your airline’s bag-drop queue (in Lobbies 1–3), turn toward the main interior pedestrian spine that points to the security hub, then walk directly to the TSA entry where the queue stanchions begin. The key landmark is the central checkpoint building that links Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 airside areas—if you’re walking parallel to curbside traffic or heading back toward rental shuttles, you’re backtracking.
Where is the agriculture inspection located relative to security/gates, and what is the shortest walking path to clear it without missing your gate area?
The USDA agriculture inspection for checked baggage is positioned directly in front of the airline check-in counters in the ticketing lobbies, before you go to TSA and the gates. The shortest path is: enter your airline’s lobby (Lobbies 1–3) from curbside, go first to the USDA scanner/station at the lobby front edge near the counter area, get the sticker applied, then immediately pivot into the kiosk/counter bag-drop workflow and continue straight to the centralized TSA checkpoint for gates. This avoids the common failure mode of joining the airline line first, then being sent back out to USDA and losing your place. The gates and post-security pavilions come only after TSA; USDA is landside, upstream of security.
If it’s raining, what are the most covered/indoors-protected walking paths between check-in, security, and gates (identify the covered segments on the terminal layout)?
The most reliable rain-protected movement is along KOA’s roofed ticketing pavilions into the centralized TSA building, then via the hard-covered walkways that connect the checkpoint to the concourse restrooms and gate pavilions. The protected segments are the check-in lobbies (Lobbies 1–3) under full roof, the centralized security screening structure, and the hard-covered connectors leading out toward the north and south concourses. Gate holdrooms themselves are roofed “huts,” but they’re open on the sides, so wind-driven rain can soak perimeter seating. The dealbreaker is that the crosswalks and the pedestrian path to Terminal 3 are uncovered—there’s no fully covered route to the commuter terminal or to the rental-car shuttle median.
Where are the highest-capacity seating zones post-security (closest to gates) so late arrivals aren’t forced to sit far from their departure gate?
The highest-capacity seating post-security is concentrated in the Gate 5 pavilion area on the north concourse, with the next-best large seating pockets around Gates 6 and 7 on the south concourse. After clearing the centralized TSA checkpoint, late arrivals should angle toward the end-of-concourse pavilions rather than lingering in the central circulation pinch point where people queue for boarding. For maximum comfort and guaranteed seating density, the United Club near Gate 10 is the most reliable climate-controlled option for eligible travelers. Seating can tighten near mainland-departure agriculture checks by the gates, so arriving late favors moving directly to the gate pavilion you’ll actually board from instead of “camping” at the checkpoint exit.
Where is the primary food option post-security located relative to the gates, and what is the shortest route that avoids crossing high-traffic choke points?
The primary post-security food node is Kona Brewing Co., located in the central airside hub between the gate concourses. From the TSA exit, the shortest route is to take the hard-covered walkway that leads away from the checkpoint toward the restroom/food pavilion cluster, then continue into the central hub area rather than cutting back through the densest security-exit crowd. This keeps you off the main stanchion spillover zone where lines and late-boarders concentrate. Once at Kona Brewing Co., you can branch north toward Gates 1–5 or south toward Gates 6–10 without re-crossing the checkpoint pinch point. If you find yourself weaving through boarding queues at a nearby gate pavilion, you’ve taken the high-traffic path.
