The Government will begin two development projects in Vanikoro in 2027, a new airport and an Eastern Border Patrol Base, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Communication and Aviation, Hon Frederick Kologeto, said.
Mr Kologeto made the announcements at the official handover ceremony of the Santa Cruz (Lata) Airport Runway and Terminal Project in Temotu Province.
Construction of the new Vanikoro Airport will start in 2027 through the Ministry of Communication and Aviation, he said. "The project represents another important commitment to improving connectivity across remote islands. It will strengthen the national aviation network and ensuring communities in Temotu Province are better connected to essential services and economic opportunities," Mr Kologeto said.
Work on the Eastern Border Patrol Base in Vanikoro is also scheduled to begin in 2027, the Acting Prime Minister said. The base falls under the Ministry of Police, Correctional Services and National Security, and Mr Kologeto said it is part of the Government's work on national security, on guarding the country's eastern maritime borders and on better watching over its own waters and territory.
The two projects showed the Government was looking beyond infrastructure alone to keeping the country connected and safe, Mr Kologeto said. He described the developments as an investment in island communities, trade and tourism.
Source: Government Communication Unit statement published on the Solomon Islands Government portal, 2 November 2026. https://solomons.gov.sb/govt-to-commence-vanikoro-airport-and-eastern-border-patrol-base-projects-in-2027/