true, but I should be able to request an alternative runway, at least that is how it works in every other scenery.
There's no difference whatsoever in runway implementation in PHNL, comparing to any other scenery. They are plain standard AFCAD runways, and the x-wind runways are there. You can verify this with any AFCAD editor.
Of course, I assume you are using the AFCAD that comes with the scenery. As was explained, several times already, if you modify it (or use a modified one), it might happen that, by opening and saving the AFCAD file back, the "DeleteAllApproaches="False", which we inserted to keep the default approaches, might have been changed to "True" by the editor. Which will have the effect of losing all the approaches, because the AFCAD with PHNL contains none, and the default are ignored by that command. This will also have the effect of the ATC not showing other runways, but only the visual one.
You can check if this is the case, by opening the default GPS. If you see the approaches, then it's all fine. Otherwise your AFCAD is not correct, because it has been modified and saved back without taking care of that issue. Again, if you use the AFCAD that comes with the scenery, there are no problems.
Of course, even another AFCAD in conflict might cause problems.