In 1921, Fiji witnessed its first civil aviation flight.
This was after the world’s first propelled aircraft made its historical airborne trip.
Details of the event were reported in The Fiji Times on September 14, 1996, when the Nadi airport celebrated 50 years of commercial aviation.
The famous landing in Suva of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith that year, following his trans-Pacific flight, was the beginning of our journey into the field of international civil aviation.
International flights then were serviced by a competent, but small outfit at Nadi.
This airport later developed into the Nadi International Airport, which was built specifically as a staging post for trans-Pacific flights during World War II to accommodate the largest aircraft flying at that time.
From humble beginnings in 1946, Nadi airport then boasts of having world standard airport facilities servicing international as well as local and regional air operators.
The terminal building was later upgraded, including the building of an extension, departure concourse, upmarket restaurant, and roadworks as well as the beautification of the surrounding areas.
South Pacific Air Transport Council and the New Zealand Ministry of Transport played major roles in the evolution of the country’s civil aviation system.
Their assistance greatly facilitated the establishment of the CAAF (Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji) in 1979.
Nadi airport had secured for itself a very lucrative operation and has served Fiji well over the years.
Visitor statistics at the time showed over 98 per cent of our international visitors arrived in the country by air.
Civil aviation had in this effect been the silent partner to our more visible tourism industry.
Nadi airport’s role, leading up to its 50th anniversary, was significant, as it had certainly continued to play a bigger role in the next millennium.
