Honiara International Airport
History
The airstrip was under construction by engineers of the Imperial Japanese Navy when it was captured by the American 1st Marine Division. The Marines renamed the nascent field for Marine Major Lofton Henderson, the first Marine aviator killed in action at the Battle of Midway. Henderson, commanding officer of VMSB-241, had died while leading his squadron in an attack against Japanese carrier forces.
Finishing and repairing the field became the main project of the Seabees of Naval Construction Battalion 6. Control of the airstrip was the focus of months of fighting in the Battle for Henderson Field during the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II and the Seabees ensured that the airstrip remained operational throughout the battle.
The field was abandoned after the war, but reopened in 1969 as an international civilian airport. The airport routinely accommodates the Airbus A320.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 57 km southwest of Honiara on 22 November 2022. The ceiling of the terminal was damaged but the structure remained intact. The affected areas were closed for repairs.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Niugini | Nadi, Port Moresby, Port Vila |
Fiji Airways | Nadi |
QantasLink | Brisbane |
Solomon Airlines | Arona, Atoifi, Auckland, Auki, Bellona, Brisbane, Choiseul Bay, Fera, Gizo, Kagau, Kirakira, Lomlom, Luganville, Manaoba, Munda, Nadi, Parasi, Port Vila, Rennell, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Seghe, Suavanao |
TransNusa | Charter: Fuzhou, Manado |
References
- ^ "HONIARA INTL". World Aero Data. WorldAeroData.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "M 7.0 - 17 km SW of Malango, Solomon Islands". United States Geological Survey. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ Needham, Kirsty, Buildings damaged but no tsunami warning for Solomon Islands after 7.0 earthquake, Reuters 22 November 2022.
- ^ "Air Niugini Resumes Honiara – Port Vila Sector From August 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "New Qantas triple treat for Brisbane". Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ^ "TransNusa Adds Manado – Honiara From late-Dec 2024". Aeroroutes. 23 December 2024.