Santa Cruz/Graciosa Bay/Luova Airport guide

Santa Cruz/Graciosa Bay/Luova Airport sits on the western edge of Graciosa Bay on Nendo, the largest of the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu Province. It is the air gateway for the province, and it is also listed as Santa Cruz (Lata) Airfield, Santa Cruz Airport and Luova Airport. The ICAO code is AGGL.

British engineers built the field in the 1970s as a single runway running roughly east to west. The strip is about 645 km from Honiara, so diversions after bad weather or a mechanical fault are hard. The runway was long topsoiled and often waterlogged, and its northern end is exposed to wind-driven ocean swells.

The Ministry of Communication and Aviation has since upgraded the airfield under the World Bank-backed Second Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project. The works sealed the runway, improved the pavement, shoulders, drainage and seawall, and added airfield ground lighting. China Harbour Engineering Company carried out the construction and Egis Asia supervised it. A new terminal building is being built as part of the programme.

Solomon Airlines is the scheduled carrier, with Dash 8 and Twin Otter aircraft serving Honiara and Lomlom. Check the airline for the current weekly schedule before travelling.