Nadi Intl. Airport

Nadi International Airport (IATA: NAN, ICAO: NFFN) is the main international gateway for the islands of Fiji. It serves about 1.2 million people per year, and is the main hub of Air Pacific. The airport is 10km from the city of Nadi. In 2009 it handled 1,220,000 passengers on international and domestic flights.

The original airstrips at Nadi were built by New Zealand in 1939. They were paid for by the British colonial authorities and were used by the United States Army Air Forces when the Pacific War began in 1941, as USAAF Nandi [sic]. Early in the war, the Americans flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Nadi against Japanese targets in the Philippines and Solomon Islands. Later in 1943, the 42nd Bombardment Group flew B-25 Mitchells from Nadi.

Following the end of the war, control of Nadi Airport was handed over to New Zealand on 20 December 1946, and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand began operations from Nadi in 1947. At independence in 1970, the Fijian government began participating in the organization of Nadi Airport, and full control was handed over in 1979.