Pinehills Airstrip in Nadi not operational - Gavoka

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka has issued a clarification regarding the privately owned Skyward Pinehills airstrip near Nadi, following public concerns raised about alleged helicopter activity at the site.

Concerned members of the public had raised the matter with fijivillage News, alleging that helicopters had been landing at the location and transporting large quantities of goods.

The issue has also been referred to the Fiji Police Force, which is yet to make any comment.

In a statement, the Minister says the Skyward Pinehills airstrip, located approximately 8.5 kilometres southeast of Nadi International Airport, was constructed in 2019 for private recreational aviation purposes.

Gavoka says during the planning and development phase, the owners engaged with the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) and Fiji Airports regarding aviation safety and airspace considerations.

Due to the airstrip’s proximity to Nadi International Airport, initial concerns were raised by Fiji Airports.

Following further technical assessment, Gavoka says conditional approval was issued in January 2020 allowing limited daytime use, subject to the fulfilment of specific requirements and the formal registration of the airstrip by CAAF in accordance with regulatory requirements.

However, the Ministry confirms that the implementation of certain requirements necessary for registration was not completed, with progress later affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says as a result, the airstrip has not been registered and according to him, it has not been used for any aircraft operations to date.

Gavoka further states that the site remains closed to aircraft operations unless and until registration requirements are fully satisfied and approval is granted by CAAF.

He also assures the public that there is currently no aviation safety risk arising from the status of the airstrip, adding that established civil aviation regulatory processes remain in place to ensure any future use complies fully with national regulations and international safety standards.