The Labasa Airport on Vanua Levu will be temporarily closed from February 16 to March 27 next year to allow critical runway pavement strengthening works that will improve the airport’s safety and reliability.
Fiji Airports chief executive officer Mesake Nawari confirmed in a statement yesterday that the planned upgrade in Labasa was a crucial investment in aviation safety and infrastructure resilience for the Northern Division.
He said consultations had also been carried out with airline partners, Northern Division stakeholders, including the Commissioner Northern’s office, the Labasa Chamber of Commerce, businesses in Labasa, and the Savusavu Tourism Association.
“While the closure may cause short-term in convenience, it is essential to ensure the long-term safety, reliability and sustainability of aircraft operations at Labasa,” Mr Nawari said.
“It is important to note that this project does not involve a runway extension.
“The temporary closure is necessary to ensure the safe and timely completion of the works.”
Mr Nawari said given that major excavation, stabilisation and drainage installation would occur within the active runway area, it was not feasible to maintain aircraft operations concurrently.
He said improving the runway’s pavement classification rating would help maintain compliance with safety and operational standards for critical aircraft, reduce pavement fatigue, extend the runway’s lifespan, and ensure more reliable and safer flight operations.
“Fiji Airports is also working closely with airline partners and stakeholders to finalise transport arrangements and ensure travel options for passengers are available during the temporary closure of Labasa Airport.”
This infrastructure intervention is funded by the World Bank under the Na Vualiku Project and will upgrade and strengthen sections of the existing runway pavement to improve its Pavement Classification Rating (PCR) – a key measure of how much weight a runway can safely carry.
The upgrade will enhance the structural capacity and resilience of the runway, ensuring it can safely accommodate the ATR 72 aircraft operations in line with an approved safety case.
