The Solomon Islands government has officially opened and handed over the upgraded Santa Cruz Airport and a new passenger terminal in Lata, Temotu Province, completing an infrastructure project funded by the World Bank.
Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Communication and Aviation Fredrick Kologeto led the handover ceremony on Oct. 30, attended by Speaker of Parliament Patteson Oti, government ministers, provincial representatives, development partners and community leaders.
The project was implemented by the Ministry of Communication and Aviation with funding from the World Bank through the Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project Phase 2 (SIRAP 2). China Harbour Engineering Company undertook the construction work, while EGIS Singapore provided construction supervision services.
The upgraded airport is intended to improve air transport access to Temotu, one of the country's more remote provinces, and strengthen connections between Lata, the provincial capital, and other parts of the Solomon Islands.
The new passenger terminal and improved airport facilities are expected to provide a better travelling experience, facilitate the movement of people and goods, and support economic activity, tourism and investment in the province.
The government said the project forms part of its airport buy-off policy, which aims to modernise provincial airport infrastructure, improve operational safety and efficiency, and expand access to air transport in rural and remote communities.
Santa Cruz joins other provincial airport projects, including the upgrade of Munda Airport, which has been elevated to the country's second international airport, as well as improvements at Taro in Choiseul Province and Seghe in Western Province.
The government also sees the upgraded airport as supporting implementation of the Mota Lava Treaty between Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Improved aviation infrastructure in Temotu is expected to provide better conditions for connectivity and economic cooperation with Torba Province in Vanuatu, including opportunities for cross-border trade.
Temotu's geographic position also gives the airport significance as an eastern gateway to the Solomon Islands. Reliable air services are particularly important for the province's scattered island communities, where air transport supports access to essential services and movement between islands and the national capital.
The handover ceremony drew residents from Lata, Gracious Bay, nearby islands and interior communities of Santa Cruz Island. The National Government and Temotu Provincial Government presented gifts to the ministry, the World Bank, China Harbour Engineering Company and EGIS Singapore in recognition of their contributions to the project.
The Ministry of Communication and Aviation also acknowledged the SIRAP 2 project support team, technical officers, engineers, workers, government agencies, community leaders and customary landowners. The ministry said the landowners' contribution of the site was essential to the development.
Following the handover to the Temotu Provincial Government and the people of the province, the ministry urged local authorities and residents to protect and maintain the airport as a national asset.
The government said the project was part of broader efforts to strengthen provincial connectivity and improve access to transport infrastructure across the Solomon Islands.
