The upgrade of the runway pavement at Rotuma Airport has been successfully completed ahead of schedule. Fiji Airports CEO, Mesake Nawari, praised the contractors, Flame Tree Development (Fiji) Pte Ltd, for their excellent work, which included necessary safety enhancements.
Recently, the Fiji Airports projects team visited the island to mark the completion of the project and to officially receive the handover from the contractors. Nawari emphasized the importance of the runway maintenance for operational efficiency and expressed gratitude to the contractors for finishing the work ahead of time, also thanking customers and stakeholders for their support during the two-week maintenance period, which did not disrupt bi-weekly flight operations.
The improvement works included landslip remediation, resealing the runway shoulder, and upgrading the fencing around the airport. Nawari mentioned that the timeline for the project was carefully planned in consultation with stakeholders before starting.
Earlier this year, Fiji Airports announced a $10 million investment to carry out runway maintenance work at five of its 14 outer island stations, including Rotuma. This initiative is part of Fiji Airports’ ongoing commitment to maintaining its outer island airports, owned by the government.
Nawari indicated that discussions with the Government will continue to secure funding for further enhancements at outer island airports and Nausori. He confirmed that the maintenance work at the five airports is fully financed by Fiji Airports.
Rotuma Airport is one of the 14 airports managed by Fiji Airports. Rotuma Island Council Chairman, Gagaj Manav, expressed appreciation for the improvements made to the airport runway, thanking Fiji Airports and the contractors for their efforts. Following a brief introduction to airport operations, the council and the seven district chiefs were given a tour of the runway, apron, and taxiway.