Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole — Kailua-Kona, United States

KOA carries the name of Ellison Onizuka, a Hawaii-born astronaut who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986 and became one of the first Japanese-Americans to reach space during an earlier mission. Much of the airport sits atop a stark field of black lava rock on the Big Island's dry Kona coast, and its older open-air terminal design, with passengers walking between thatched-roof structures rather than through enclosed jet bridges, has long stood out among major American airports for its distinctly Hawaiian, indoor-outdoor character. Kailua-Kona nearby anchors a coastline famous for game fishing tournaments, resort hotels, and the volcanic upland farms that grow Kona coffee, one of the more expensive and sought-after coffee varieties grown anywhere in the world. The town also hosts the Ironman World Championship, drawing elite triathletes and spectators through KOA each year. Flights connect the airport to the mainland United States and to interisland destinations across Hawaii.