Bauerfield International Airport
Bauerfield International Airport Port Vila International Airport Aéroport International Bauerfield Aéroport International Port-Vila | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Vanuatu Limited | ||||||||||
| Serves | Port Vila, Vanuatu | ||||||||||
| Hub for | Air Vanuatu | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 68 ft (21 m) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 17°41′57″S 168°19′11″E / 17.69917°S 168.31972°E | ||||||||||
| Website | https://vli.vu/ | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Port Vila International Airport (IATA: VLI, ICAO: NVVV) (French: Aéroport International Port-Vila), widely known as Bauerfield International Airport (French: Aéroport International Bauerfield), is an airport located in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The airport is relatively small in size, but its runway has the capability and length to accept large wide body jets such as the Airbus A330. It served as the international hub for Vanuatu's flag carrier airline, Air Vanuatu, until its bankruptcy in 2024.
History
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During World War II
With Japanese forces establishing bases on Guadalcanal which threatened the sea route between the United States and Australia, Admiral Ernest King of the United States Navy distributed the joint basic plan for the occupation and defense of Efate (the island on which Port Vila is situated) on 20 March 1942. Under its terms the United States Army was to defend Efate and support the defense of ships and positions. The US Navy's task was: (1) to construct, administer and operate a naval advance base, seaplane base, and harbor facilities; (2) to support Army forces in the defense of the island; (3) to construct an airfield and at least two outlying dispersal fields; (4) to provide facilities for the operation of seaplane-bombers.[1]: 202
On 25 March 1942, the Army sent about 500 men to Efate from Nouméa, and the 4th Defense Battalion, 45th Marines, arrived on 8 April. Elements of the Seabees 1st Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Efate on 4 May 1942. The Marines had already cleared a coral 2,000 feet (610 m) by 200 feet (61 m) runway near Port Vila on part of a plantation owned by Henri Russet. The Seabees expanded this to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) by 350 feet (110 m).[1]: 204–5
The airfield was originally named Efate Field, Vila Field or McDonald Field but was later officially named Bauer Field after Lt-Col. Harold W. Bauer, a fighter pilot in the US Marine Corps who was lost at sea on 14 November 1942 after being shot down during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
USAAF units stationed at Efate Field included:
- 12th Fighter Squadron 1942-3
- 44th Fighter Squadron 7 November 1942 – 25 October 1943
- 26th Bombardment Squadron 25 July-22 December 1942
The base was disestablished and abandoned in February 1946.[1]: 206
Development since the 2000s
The airport runway was rebuilt in 2019 after a 3-year construction project funded by the World Bank.[2] It was damaged in the 2024 Port Vila earthquake on 17 December,[3] causing its closure to non-humanitarian flights for 72 hours.[4] Commercial operations resumed on 22 December following repairs.[5]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
As of July 2026, the following airlines are known to operate services from the airport, including, but not limited to, the destinations listed:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Calin | Nouméa[6] |
| Air Niugini | Port Moresby[7] |
| Air Vanuatu[8] | |
| Jetstar | Sydney[9] |
| Qantas | Brisbane[9] |
| Solomon Airlines | Auckland,[10] Christchurch,[11] |
| Virgin Australia | Brisbane[12] |
Accidents and incidents
- On 28 July 2018, an ATR 72 operating Air Vanuatu Flight 241 veered off the runway at Bauerfield while landing with an engine shut down following an in-flight fire. The aircraft collided with two Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, writing one off and severely damaging the other.[13]
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- 1 2 3 Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Vanuatu Airport runway rebuilt". www.rnz.co.nz. Radio NZ. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ↑ "Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Pacific island nation of Vanuatu". Associated Press. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ↑ "Vanuatu earthquake: NZ rescue crews head to quake-hit nation as search for survivors continues". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ↑ "Commercial flights resume for quake-hit Vanuatu". 1News. 22 December 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ↑ "Flight Port Vila - Noumea from 37 050 VUV All Taxes Incl". Air Calin. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pt. Moresby, Papua New Guinea POM". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 27 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 1046–1047. August 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
- ↑ "Destinations - Efate - Port Vila". Air Vanuatu. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- 1 2 Harada, Mark (21 June 2024). "Approved! Qantas plans to fly daily to Vanuatu; Jetstar plans four weekly flights". Karryon. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ↑ "Solomon Airlines and Air Vanuatu Strengthen Partnership". Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ↑ Mamu, Moffat (19 January 2026). "SOLOMON AIRLINES ANNOUNCES NEW ROUTES". Solomon Star. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ↑ "Virgin Australia return to Vanuatu". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ↑ "FINAL REPORT AIC 18-1002 — Air Vanuatu ATR 72-500 YJ-AV71" (PDF). Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
External links
