Travelers Opting For A Tropical Getaway This Fall May Pass Through One Of America's Most Haunted Airports

The gateway to the tropical islands of Hawaii has taken a beating recently. Overtourism in the capital has placed Honolulu among the world's most disappointing tourist destinations of 2025. Just leaving the Aloha State can be a nightmare. The city's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport was ranked as having one of the longest waiting times at security in the country. It seems, however, that passengers have more to fear in Honolulu beyond interminable waiting times and lost luggage. "You wouldn't think a modern structure in a tropical paradise is the normal haunting ground for a ghost, but you'd be wrong," said Nicola of the YouTube channel Ghost Casebook that investigates paranormal sightings. "The terminal is said to be haunted by at least two ghosts."

The first is called the "Lady in Waiting." She's described as a woman in a white dress, reportedly standing at the airport terminal windows gazing at the runway, seemingly waiting for someone. When approached, however, she mysteriously vanishes. Then there are the reports of the poltergeist by the toilets, a mischievous ghost that delights in flushing the toilets and unspooling the toilet paper, much to the irritation of cleaning staff. Then, there is the "choking ghost." Staff and passengers have allegedly had the sensation of a heavy weight suddenly closing around their chests.

Hawaiians take pride in "talking story," from casual chit-chat to passing on generational wisdom through personal accounts. And everybody loves a good ghost story. Two decades ago, Honolulu Magazine decided to document the odd happenings at Daniel K. Inouye Airport by interviewing Ray Duropan, a retired Hawaii police officer who had worked at the airport in the early 1990s and was repeatedly called out to investigate sightings of the Lady in Waiting, usually after dark or just before sunset. Rumors are that she's eternally waiting for her fiancé, a man who left her at the altar to board an international flight, never to return.

"She was blonde," the retired police officer told the magazine, "and wearing a long white dress. People never saw her face. Just the back of her. One caller said she as transparent." Though he never interacted with the lady in waiting, he said, "We'd get calls from all kinds of airport employees. From custodial staff to airline personnel. They all saw her." Then there's the "choking ghost." Duropan recounted how other police officers would describe having a sensation of an increasingly heavy weight on their chest that made it difficult to breathe. He added, "There is stuff going on at the airport that nobody can explain."

Honolulu International isn't the only airport believed to be haunted. Duluth International Airport in Minnesota and the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia are said to be the sites of spectral visions. Denver Airport in Colorado is reportedly built over an ancient burial ground, though vengeful ghosts may not be what passengers have to fear most, as it's nestled in mountains, a common geological feature found at the world's most turbulent airports.