Fiji’s main international gateway Nadi International Airport has received the prestigious 2026 Green Airports Recognition Platinum Award for its Wailoaloa Mangrove Restoration Project.
The award – that falls in the under-five million passengers category – recognises outstanding achievements in climate change adaptation projects by airports across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.
The award-winning Wailoaloa Mangrove Restoration Project was introduced to strengthen and protect the coastal perimeter surrounding Nadi International Airport, while also supporting long-term environmental preservation and climate adaptation efforts.
Fiji Airports chief executive officer Mesake Nawari said this recognition reflected the power of collective climate action and community participation, and did not have to be complicated.
He said sometimes started with people coming together, planting mangroves, and doing their part to protect the environment around them.
“This award belongs to everyone who supported the project, especially their children who joined us during the planting activities. Seeing our children take part made the work even more meaningful because this is ultimately about the future we are trying to protect for them,” Mr Nawari said.
He said the project aligned with their broader strategies of building resilient infrastructure, strengthening environmental sustainability, supporting community partnerships, and advancing its vision of becoming a world-class aviation hub for the Blue Pacific.
Mr Nawari received the award at the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific and Middle East Regional Assembly conference and exhibition that held in Bangkok, Thailand.
