Celebrating Official Opening of Niue Hanan International Airport runway upgrades

10/06/2024

In 2021, during Covid’s peak impacts, Downer commenced work with the Government of Niue, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and engineer to the contract, GHD to upgrade infrastructure at Niue Hanan International Airport. Now, in June 2024, we mark the official opening with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

With the last resurfacing completed in 1995, 28 years of service have left the runway, apron, and taxiways in need of specialist pavement work to remedy the degraded condition, which saw Downer teams mill 20mm off the existing surfaces, complete shape correction, and overlay 65mm of new asphalt. While there was no change to the runway’s length or width, the team did upgrade the ground lighting to raise it to current international standards. 

“Niue needed major work on its airport runway so New Zealand invested in a resurfacing project here to ensure planes can land and people can visit,” Prime Minister Luxon said of the project. He continued, “New Zealand is proud to support Niue in this effort as we continue to support the Pacific as a whole. Cutting the ribbon on the runway today was a great feeling for all involved.” 

The significance of the project to the Niuean community extends beyond the economic benefits. Downer hired 19 local Niuean’s to help deliver the project and provided training in ways to support their further careers; nine have learned to operate specialised equipment, and seven have earned their heavy truck licence. 

The local team were also able to learn significantly from the 85 people with specialist skills who travelled to Niue throughout the course of the project. Marine and engineering surveyors, crane operators and laboratory technicians were all flown to Niue to support the team’s successful delivery, despite the fluctuating travel restrictions dictated by varying Covid-19 surges. 

Far from a small runway people might expect from an island nation with around 1,620 residents, the Niue Hanan runway is 2,335 metres long. That’s longer than both Hamilton and Wellington airport in New Zealand.

George Leidig, Head of Airports for Transport & Infrastructure, says of the project, “Niue has been a special project for Downer. Apart from being on a true island paradise with incredible people, the project has enabled us to deliver a broad range of our airport offerings in an excellent way, from delivering specialised pavements, to laboratory testing and lighting installation, it’s a small show of what we can offer any airport.” 

With the infrastructure renewed, planes reliably delivering tourists and resources, and the local people who were employed for the project upskilled, Downer is now demobilising from the island with the team looking forward to returning, be it for pleasure or a future project. 

The detail 

• 1,800 tonnes of bitumen, 25,000 tonnes of asphalt, 30,000 tonnes of aggregate and 245 new lights were placed and installed over the course of two years. 
• Two bitumen grades were utilised following temperature and weather analysis. PG 76-V was used in high stress areas such as the turning nodes and taxiways, while PG-64V was used elsewhere. 
• Milling and paving was completed in 80 metre blocks along the runway each day. Then, following each shift, the runway was reopened for aircraft. 
• 15 pieces of specialist machinery were imported for the project, including millers, pavers, trucks, sprayers, and line marking machines.