Army warns Big Island residents of increased RIMPAC aircraft noise in July
The Army set a July 6-27 flight window from Kaneohe Bay and Kona to Pōhakuloa, with daily flights 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a concern line at 808-787-1529.
The U.S. Army has issued an aircraft alert for Hawaii Island, warning that training flights to and from Pōhakuloa Training Area will run from July 6 through July 27. Flights are scheduled daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with rotary-wing, fixed-wing and jet aircraft moving between Kaneohe Bay, Kona and the training area.
For Big Island residents, that means a stretch of louder skies and more visible military traffic over parts of the island, especially for communities along the routes tied to Pōhakuloa. The schedule gives schools, businesses and households a fixed window to plan around aircraft noise rather than being surprised by it.
The alert lands during RIMPAC 2026, which runs June 24 through July 31 and brings 31 nations, about 40 surface ships, 5 submarines, 140 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel into and around the Hawaiian Islands. The U.S. Pacific Fleet has described the exercise as a biennial effort built around cooperation and maritime security, and this year’s island flight activity is part of that broader operation.
Pōhakuloa Training Area sits between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Hualālai on Hawaii Island and covers about 132,000 acres, making it the largest contiguous live-fire range and maneuver training area in Hawaii. Its scale helps explain why RIMPAC aviation activity can ripple far beyond the range itself, reaching West Hawaii and other parts of the island where residents may hear aircraft pass overhead during the monthlong exercise.
Residents with questions or concerns can contact the U.S. Army Hawaii Community Concern Line at 808-787-1529 or usag.hawaii.comrel@army.mil. Responses are handled during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The notice follows a familiar pattern on the island. During RIMPAC 2024, residents were told to expect increased jet engine and aircraft noise over Pōhakuloa and West Hawaii, with intermittent flights from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. between July 8 and Aug. 2. This year’s warning again gives Big Island communities advance notice before the aircraft traffic begins.
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