The upgrade of the Taro runway in Choiseul Province now enables flights to operate under all weather conditions.
The upgraded facility handed over to the government from the governments of Australia and New Zealand included a 960-meter runway, chip sealed for all weather use and equipped with Solar ground lighting, including a system for night flights making the airport one of the safest in the country.

Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare MP officially opened and received the Taro upgraded Airfield and expressed his sincere gratitude to both governments for their hard work and dedication to the project.

He praised the “Anzac Spirit” that has been embodied in this project and acknowledged the continuous assistance that both countries have provided to the Solomon Islands.

“I am very grateful and sincerely thanked both the Australia and New Zealand governments for a job well done on the Taro upgraded airport successful completion.” he expressed.

“This is a testament to our ongoing cooperation the Government and people of
Solomon Islands thank Australia and New Zealand’s continuous assistance to the country.”

_{PM Sogavare ,AHC Rod Hilton & NZHC Jonathan Schwass and Premier Choiseul Province Tongoua Tabe cutting the cake to mark the Taro Airfield Handover.}

The Australian High Commissioner H.E Rod Hilton and the New Zealand High Commissioner H.E Jonathan Schwass pledged their commitment to continuing to support the country in the future. This airport upgrade is set to have a significant impact on business opportunities in Taro and the Choiseul province as a whole, with the potential to spur economic growth in the area.

Choiseul Provincial Premier, Hon. Tongoua Tabe, expressed his appreciation to the Sogavare-led government and its partners for the upgraded airfield infrastructure. He noted that this project is just the beginning and anticipates further provincial airfield upgrades in the coming year.

The Taro Airport upgrade was officially handed over to the Solomon Islands Government last week on November 10th.

Source: OPMC Press Secretariat