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The Grant-Aid project for the Improvement of Honiara International Airport Project by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) successfully hosted another field trip even for a local kindergarten, Baby Go Playground, on Wednesday, 1st of March 2023.

37 children along with 6 teachers, guardians and parents from a local kindergarten, Baby Go Playground, visited the newly constructed international terminal building and were welcomed by the project staff.

As the visitors entered the New International Departure Terminal building through the main entrance and were introduced to the check-in hall, the resident consultant of the project, Tetsuya ISHIKAWA introduced the general operation of the departure terminal and the checking of the passenger and baggage. The children then were introduced backstage to see the baggage-handling system with X-ray scanning equipment donated under the project, to learn about how the airport is ensuring the security and safety of its operation, aircraft and its passengers.

The children walked through the security screening area and into the immigration counters, and finally to the departure lounge. And as the children entered the departure lounge, the Air Niugini flight from Nadi had just landed and was approaching the newly constructed apron right in front of the terminal building. All the children were excited and fascinated by the taxing aeroplane up close.

The children stayed inside the departure lounge for small snacks and refreshments and saw a video projected on the large wall of the lounge and learned about the progress of the construction project since the commencement of the project construction in December 2019. This project aims to reduce aircraft turnaround, provide passenger comfort and improve safety through the construction of a new international departure terminal, a new taxiway, repairs to the existing taxiway, repairs to the existing apron and expansion of the apron to the west, refurbishment of the existing international terminal to be used for domestic operations, installation of dykes for flood control, install new generators and install lights as major components of the project.

Although this project had experienced 8 months of suspension from April to November 2020, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and SI border closure, the project finally has come to completion and is now to be handed over to Solomon Islands Government later this month.

Since the commencement of the project, the project team had invited students from 3 schools: Civil Engineering Students from SINU in Nov. 2021, students from Don Bosco in June 2022, St. Nicholas Primary School in Nov. 2022, and the field trip for the Baby Go Playground will be the last engagement to the local educational institutions before the completion and handover of the airport.

The program concluded after the children witnessed the departure of the Air Niugini flight departing Honiara to Port Moresby, and coincidentally, on the same day, one of the two resident consultants had left the country on the same flight, back to Japan.

Kengo HOSHINA
Project Formulation Advisor
JICA Solomon Islands Office