Yes, you can smoke at Hilo International Airport (ITO) outdoors — in the parking lots and on the ground-level public sidewalks, as long as you stay at least 20 feet from any doorway, window or ventilation duct. The terminal is smoke-free “cabin to curb” under Hawaii Revised Statutes 328J.
How Hilo Airport Is Laid Out
ITO has a single passenger terminal built in the classic open-air Hawaiian style — interconnected single-wall buildings cooled by the trade winds rather than fully enclosed and air-conditioned. Gates are split between a North Concourse and a South Concourse served by passenger loading bridges, plus a small separate commuter facility for Mokulele Airlines and helicopter tour operators. Even though much of the building is naturally ventilated and open to the air, the “cabin to curb” rule still applies throughout, so the open-air concourses are not smoking areas.
The airline mix is mostly interisland — Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest fly to Honolulu and Kahului — with Southwest’s first mainland nonstop (Las Vegas) launching in August 2026. There is no international service, so every departing and connecting passenger clears the same domestic checkpoint, beyond which there is nowhere to smoke.
Where You Can Smoke at Hilo Airport
The Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division allows smoking outdoors at ITO in two places:
- Parking lots — light up in the parking areas, keeping clear of the 20-foot buffer around building openings.
- Ground-level public sidewalks — permitted, but not within 20 feet of any entryway, window or vent.
Smoking is prohibited inside the terminal and along the curbside drop-off immediately in front of it — this is the “cabin to curb” rule. The policy covers cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and electronic smoking devices (e-cigarettes, vapes, heat-not-burn products), all of which follow the same outdoor-only rule.
What Smokers Should Plan For
- Connecting through ITO: there is no airside smoking, so you would need to exit security to reach the parking lots or sidewalks and then re-screen. Hilo is a small airport, so the walk is short.
- Arrivals: the parking lots and sidewalks are an easy step from baggage claim once you keep clear of the 20-foot buffer.
- Departures: smoke before clearing security, since there is no option past the checkpoint.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Hawaii’s airport rule treats e-cigarettes, vapes and heat-not-burn devices exactly like cigarettes — the official ITO smoking page spells out “no smoking cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.” Vaping is therefore confined to the same outdoor parking lots and ground-level sidewalks, kept at least 20 feet from any doorway, window or vent. There is no indoor or airside vaping anywhere in the terminal.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal interior (open-air concourses) | No | Smoke-free “cabin to curb,” includes vaping |
| After security / airside | No | No post-security smoking; exit and re-clear TSA |
| Parking lots | Yes | Outdoor, 20 ft from any door/window/vent |
| Ground-level public sidewalks | Yes | Outdoor, outside the 20 ft buffer |
| Vaping/e-cigarettes | Outdoor only | Same rule as cigarettes |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.