Santo International Airport

{{Airport-dest-list

|Air Vanuatu{{cite web |title=Air Vanuatu Sep 2024 Domestic Operations |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240906-nfsep24 |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=6 September 2024}} | Gaua, Longana, Lonorore, Maewo, Mota Lava, Norsup, Port Vila, Sara, Sola, Walaha

|{{nowrap|Solomon Airlines}} | Brisbane,{{cite web|title=Solomon Airlines Enhances Brisbane Network in 1Q25|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250113-ie1q25bne}} Honiara, Port Vila

}}

The 7th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942 to begin construction of more extensive Espiritu Santo Naval Base air facilities to support the Guadalcanal Campaign. After completing a second fighter airfield at Turtle Bay they began constructing two bomber fields, one at Palikulo Bay known as Bomber Field No. 1 and the other at Pekoa, known as Bomber Field No. 2. Working in cooperation with a company of the US Army 810th Engineer Aviation Battalion, the 7th CB cleared, graded, and surfaced a {{convert|5000|ft}} by {{convert|150|ft}} coral runway on the site of a prewar plantation. The 15th CB arrived on Santo on 13 October 1942 and extended the runway to {{convert|7000|ft}} with pierced steel planking over a coral base, and built taxiways, revetments, and miscellaneous structures.{{Cite book|title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946| publisher=US Government Printing Office|year=1947|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/building-the-navys-bases.html|page=228}}{{PD-notice}} The completed airfield was operational in December 1942 and was known as "Bomber Field No. 2" or "Pekoa Field".

The Thirteenth Air Force was based at Pekoa from 13 January 1943 until 20 January 1944 when it moved to Carney Airfield on Guadalcanal. Units assigned were:

• Headquarters, XIII Bomber Command, 13 January-20 August 1943
• Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, 22 January–December 1943
• 5th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942 – 19 August 1943
• 11th Bombardment Group, 22 July 1942 – 8 April 1943
• 18th Fighter Group, 11 March-17 April 1943
• 4th Reconnaissance Group, 23 January 1943 – 6 May 1944
• 403d Troop Carrier Group, 13 September 1943 – 30 August 1944

As the war moved further north, Pekoa Airfield was closed on 8 February 1945 and all traffic routed to Palikulo Bay Airfield.

Luganville Airfield was used as a civilian airstrip until the early 1970s, however as it was on higher ground it was often clouded in and so it was decided to move all operations to the former Pekoa Airfield/Bomber Field No.2 which became Santo-Pekoa International Airport.{{Cite book|last=Stone|first=Peter|title=The Lady and the President: The life and loss of the S.S. President Coolidge| publisher=Oceans Enterprises|year=1997|isbn=9780958665728|page=65}}

Of the four wartime airfields on Espiritu Santo: Turtle Bay Airfield, Palikulo Bay Airfield, Luganville Airfield and Pekoa; Pekoa is the only wartime airfield still in use.{{fact|date=January 2024}}

• Luganville Seaplane Base
• USAAF in the South Pacific

{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.
• {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 December 2016 |edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070405063732/http://www.airports.vu/index2.shtml Airports Vanuatu Ltd.]

{{Airports in Vanuatu}}

{{USAAF 13th Air Force World War II}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II

Category:Airports in Vanuatu

Category:Espiritu Santo

Category:Sanma Province

Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the Pacific Ocean Theater

Category:1942 establishments in the New Hebrides

Category:Seabees