Sustainable Hilo International Airport

In June 2025, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (the Department) announced that Hilo International Airport (ITO) on the Island of Hawai‘i reached a new milestone in Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) at Level 1 (Mapping) accreditation, reinforcing the Department’s commitment to sustainability in aviation.

One year later, in June 2026, the Department upgraded its efforts and achieved ACA Level 3 (Optimization), which recognizes progress in mapping airport-controlled carbon emissions and collaborating with operational partners on sustainability initiatives. The ACA program, administered by Airports Council International, is the global standard for carbon management in the airport industry. By achieving this milestone, the Department demonstrates its commitment to gathering data and reporting its carbon emissions.

Hilo International Airport Achievements

Set a goal to reduce airport-controlled carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and net-zero airport-controlled carbon emissions by 2045. This aligns with the state of Hawai’i HRS §225P-5: Zero Emissions Clean Economy Target (2018, 2022).
Engaged more than 29 operational stakeholders on their sustainability plans and explored ways to support.
Mapped emissions for both airport-controlled and non-airport-controlled carbon emissions sources, including flights and ground transportation, to gain an understanding of carbon emissions overall (see inventories below).
Developed actionable strategies for emissions reductions prioritized by ease of implementation and guided by values in the Hawai‘i Pathways to Decarbonization report (DBEDT 2023).
The Department will continue to collaborate with federal, state, and private sector partners to secure funding and implement further sustainability measures.