Bauerfield International Airport
Bauerfield International Airport Port Vila International Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Vanuatu Limited | ||||||||||
| Serves | Port Vila, 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/ | ||||||||||
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Bauerfield International Airport (IATA: VLI, ICAO: NVVV) (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 jets up to the Airbus A330. It served as the hub for Vanuatu's flag carrier airline, Air Vanuatu.
History
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During World War II
[edit]With Japanese forces establishing bases on Guadalcanal which threatened the sea route between the U.S. and Australia, Admiral King distributed the joint basic plan for the occupation and defense of Efate (the island containing Port Vila) on 20 March 1942. Under its terms the US 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]
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
[edit]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
[edit]Passenger
[edit]Cargo
[edit]| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Pacific Air Express | Brisbane[citation needed] |
Accidents and incidents
[edit]- On 28 July 2018, an ATR-72 operating Air Vanuatu Flight 241 suffered a runway excursion whilst landing with an engine shut down following an in-flight fire. The aircraft collided with two Britten-Norman Islanders, writing one off and severely damaging the other.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ a b c 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. p. 202.
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. 2024-12-22. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ^ "Air Caledonie Begins Noumea – Port Vila Service From Oct 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Air Niugini Resumes Honiara – Port Vila Sector From August 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "Air Vanuatu Sep 2024 Domestic Operations". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Solomon Airlines Expands Vanuatu Service From late-May 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Solomon Airlines Flight Schedules | International & Domestic".
- ^ "Virgin Australia return to Vanuatu". Daily Post. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
External links
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Media related to Bauerfield International Airport at Wikimedia Commons