Unsafe Pele Airport remains closed
March 26, 2026 12:03 am | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Doddy Morris.
Pele Airport in Tongoa island remains closed while maintenance and safety upgrades are carried out, Civil Aviation authorities confirmed.
The airport in Vanuatu has experienced closures and service suspensions in the past due to unsafe runway conditions, including damage, lack of fencing, and livestock roaming the runway. In 2014, Pele Airport was also closed due to poor runway conditions.
Assistant Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu (CAAV), Ellory Takiau, said the airport currently requires fence repairs, which are being handled through the Public Works Department.
After maintenance, CAAV will conduct a formal inspection before notifying air operators that the airport is safe to reopen.
Communities, stakeholders, and schools in Tongoa came together yesterday to repair the airport fence and secure the area.
This effort follows the suspension of flights after pigs and cows entered the runway, making it unsafe for planes to land.
The closure echoes a similar incident in 2025 when Unity Airlines suspended flights to Tongoa Airport. During takeoff, two cows entered the runway through a broken fence, forcing pilots to take evasive action.
The runway was also littered with cow manure, highlighting the ongoing problem of livestock roaming the airstrip.
Unity Airlines stated that operations will not resume until the runway is cleared, fenced, and deemed safe.
The airline stressed that passenger and crew safety remains its top priority and called on local authorities and communities to ensure high safety standards are maintained.
The Daily Post contacted Unity Airlines yesterday, and it confirmed that flights to Pele Airport in Tongoa are still suspended until CAAV gives the green light that the airport is safe for operations.
Authorities have been urged to maintain a task force to prevent animals from entering the runway and disrupting flight operations in the future.
