Inouye’s name now graces Honolulu airport

A ceremony Tuesday at Hawaii’s largest airport marked the renaming of the facility the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

A two-sided illuminated “Daniel K. Inouye International Airport” sign now sits above the airport’s district office building. The state Department of Transportation’s Airports Division also put two new signs above the facility’s entrances to the H-1 freeway.

The four new signs cost about $1 million, said Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara. Airport officials used money from a contingency fund for a larger airport signage project, which is expected to replace thousands of airport signs — such as those directing passengers to the right gates and baggage claim areas — by mid-2019 at a cost of $21.5 million.

“It was good timing for the renaming ceremony. The entire signage project was going to happen anyway as part of the airport modernization,” Sakahara said, adding that the new signage is funded through airport user fees.

The renaming ceremony was held in the airport atrium to honor the late senator, who died at age 88 on Dec. 17, 2012, after serving in office for more than a half-century.

The renaming has been criticized in recent weeks by some as too costly or inappropriate given the airport’s tired condition, but the honor was endorsed by Inouye family members, his former staff members and by politicians. U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, state Senate President Ronald Kouchi, Gov. David Ige’s Chief of Staff Mike McCartney, and retired First Hawaiian Bank Chairman and CEO Walter Dods, who ran several of Inouye’s campaigns, were among the VIPs attending.

A celebrated veteran, Inouye earned the Medal of Honor following his service in the decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. Inouye was shot in the stomach and lost his right arm to a rifle grenade but still led his men to destroy multiple German bunkers in battle. After his death Inouye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Upon Hawaii gaining statehood in 1959, Inouye served as its first representative in Congress. He was the first Japanese-American to serve in both the U.S. House and Senate. He became the highest-ranking Asian-­American public official in U.S. history when his political seniority made him third in the line of presidential succession.

During his career, Inouye helped secure federal funding for many projects in the islands. Each year some of the money went to develop and maintain the Honolulu airport.

“The airport was very special to him. I’m sure he’s here in spirit and would be very happy with the work that’s being done,” said his widow, Irene Hirano Inouye, who spoke at the ceremony.

Inouye’s son Ken and his daughter Maggie, the senator’s granddaughter, also participated in the ceremony. Ken Inouye said the renaming was a “surreal” reminder of the family’s loss and of the “importance of aloha.”

“The last thing that he said before he died was ‘aloha’ — and that’s no accident. Aloha was always very special to him, and it should always be special to us,” Inouye said.

Hanabusa, who was Daniel Inouye’s political protege, said the name change helps ensure that the next generation does not forget the famous senator’s many contributions. When people see the signage, Hanabusa said, she hopes that they will ask, “Who is Daniel K. Inouye?”

Hopefully, Hanabusa said, his memory will inspire “generations to come to do even a fraction of what he was able to do.”

Kouchi, the state Senate president, and state Rep. Scott Nishimoto, a former Inouye staff member, introduced resolutions last year in the state Legislature that made the name change possible.

The state Department of Transportation held Tuesday’s ceremony to officially mark a change that was made April 27 when the Federal Aviation Administration approved a fourth name for the facility. The FAA will continue to use the HNL airport code.

The airport first opened in 1927 as John Rodgers Airport for the commander who led the first attempt to fly from the mainland to Hawaii. It was renamed Honolulu Airport in 1947 and became Honolulu International Airport in 1951.