Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
Reviewed for: MSFS
Add-ons: FSLTL, GSX Pro, REX AccuSeason (which may misrepresent some colours in certain light conditions)
DETAIL
I’ll say right off the bat that none of the video reviews I’ve seen do this airport justice. If you’re familiar with NSS airports you’ll pretty much know what to expect but, since Lihue came almost 12 months after the dev’s previous release, it’s received a few details not before seen in their scenery. I shan’t ruin the surprise but there are a number of really cool little animations, one of which you’re really going to have to look hard for (do comment if you own this airport and you’ve managed to spot it)…
The ground textures are very good. Not the absolute best in 2025 but certainly no complaints from me. The textures exhibit a good smattering of wear and tear and ground signage is decent. Airfield lighting looks largely default, however.
The terminal is, as usual with NSS, the star of the show. There’s really not much else to say, apart from that it’s insanely detailed, inside and out. NSS really do have a knack for making some of the best terminal buildings in the sim. And if modelling the full interior of the main building isn’t enough, they’ve also gone and done the sightseeing terminal. Fantastic stuff!
Out on the ramp there’s plenty of clutter. The majority of it is default but its placement is spot on; given how good everything else is, it would be an injustice to moan too much. The fire tenders, parked in and around the fire station, are custom, however.
Moving landside, everything is again excellent, although I’m quite surprised by the number of custom vehicle models — a little odd when the arguably more important apron clutter is largely default. More surprisingly, each vehicle has a unique Hawaiian licence plate! I’d like to have seen this scenario swapped, so that more detail was placed airside than landside. The custom vegetation is worth a mention due to its quality and abundance.
The airfield peripheries have received some welcome attention, with all structures having a finish equal to the quality seen in the primary areas. Outside the perimeter fence we’re treated to various buildings (various offices, hotels, homes, a sports stadium and a lighthouse) but the smaller examples have been simplified.
At night the airport looks great. No pesky Asobo ‘globes’ floating around, thankfully. The terminal interior appears slightly under-lit in a handful of places but this could be reflective of reality.
PERFORMANCE
When I was on Xbox some NSS airports were among the worst for triggering the dreaded ‘blackscreen’ phenomenon. No such problem on PC and Lihue performs admirably, given the detail and steady stream of AI traffic (almost 4million pax per year, all carried by narrowbodies, so not exactly a quiet airport).
VERDICT
I’d been looking for a while for somewhere local to fly to from PHNL, and a couple from Northern Sky’s Hawaiian collection had caught my eye — however Hawaii’s not a region I’ve ever really wanted to fly around so I’ve been waiting for a good sale (this airport’s currently on offer for around £10 at Orbx and Contrail). Well, Lihue is of such good quality that I can see myself building a small collection of my own in these islands. Despite some mildly annoying little anomalies, it’s an outstanding airport, absolutely crammed full of detail — a lot of it admittedly totally pointless but it sure is fun to look at! The custom vegetation does a great job of making this place feel like a tropical paradise, and the nearby mountains — covered in lush greenery — add a pleasing backdrop.
Add a few subtle animations here and there and you have an airport that’s not only fun to fly in and out of, but that will also occupy your time while you explore and uncover some of its unique quirks.
Ground textures: 8/10
Building textures: 10/10
Apron clutter: 7/10
Terminal interior: 10/10
Outdoor landside detail: 10/10
Jetway connection: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
FSLTL compatibility: 10/10
GSX compatibility: no profile available currently but seems to work well as is
Night-lighting: 8/10
Overall immersion: 9/10
IMAGES
To follow…