In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, on a narrow atoll barely rising above the sea, sits one of the most remarkable pieces of infrastructure in the world, not because it is the largest, or the busiest, but because of what it means for a country that might otherwise be stranded.
Tuvalu’s Funafuti International Airport is more than just a runway. It’s a road, a football field, a playground, a picnic spot, and a lifeline.
“When flights are cancelled, it’s not just an inconvenience, it’s a national disruption,” said Tuvalu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Panapasi Nelesoni. “Families miss medical appointments, students are delayed from traveling to school, and essential supplies like fresh food and medicines can’t get in. And in the event of a cyclone or other disaster, this airport becomes our only lifeline: for emergency evacuations, bringing in relief supplies, and reconnecting us to the outside world. For Tuvalu, a reliable runway is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for survival.”
“Funafuti Airport is unlike any runway I’ve ever worked on,” said Satoshi Ogita, Senior Transport Specialist and lead of the Tuvalu Safety and Resilience in Aviation Project. “It’s not just infrastructure, it’s part of daily life. There’s no fence, so when flights aren’t landing, it turns into a football field, a road, even a place for evening walks or yoga.” Built during World War II, Funafuti’s airport runway was last resurfaced in 1994. By 2012, when the World Bank commenced the Tuvalu Aviation Investment Program, the pavement was visibly deteriorating. Fatigue cracks, potholes, and subtle subsurface distortions hinted at deeper issues. The repair strategy then seemed sound: grout the cavitations, reseal the surface, and get the runway operational again.
“People live just meters from the edge, and the runway connects them to everything from food and medicine to education and emergency evacuations. It’s one of the most unique and essential runways in the world. That’s what made solving its engineering challenges so important, and so urgent,” said Mr. Ogita.
But a surprise was in store. Just six months after rehabilitation in 2014, the newly laid runway began to blister. Then heave. Vent cracks spread like veins. In 2017, after engaging the University of Auckland, the findings pointed to a phenomenon so rare it had only been documented at one other airport in the world, in Hong Kong.
This was no ordinary engineering failure. Beneath the runway, a combination of a high-water table and tidal movements unique to a small atoll country created underground pressure pockets. Even the smallest voids, invisible and undetectable by previous methods, would rupture the surface. This was a totally unforeseen force of nature in a unique part of the world (there are only four atoll countries on the planet) and it was clear that innovative engineering was going to be required.
By 2019, a new plan was in place: overlay the most vulnerable 600 meters with dense asphalt to trap the pressure and patch the rest. But then came a new challenge — getting the work done. Tuvalu’s remoteness, combined with global supply chain shocks during the COVID-19 pandemic, meant three rounds of international bidding failed to yield a viable contractor.
With the clock ticking and no safe, resilient runway in place, the World Bank extended its commitment through a new Tuvalu Safe and Resilient Aviation Project (TuSRAP). At last, in 2023, a breakthrough — Downer, a New Zealand-based contractor, signed on, along with engineering consultants GHD.
By early 2024, a new underground assessment using Ground Penetrating Radar revealed the problem had worsened. The number and size of blisters had increased across the entire runway.
So, the team once again used the opportunity to reassess and respond.
Rethinking the Runway
The team proposed a new solution: open-graded porous asphalt. Uncommon for airport runways, this material is engineered with tiny air pockets that allow underground water and pressure to release safely to the surface. It’s widely used for roadways in developed countries to prevent surface pooling and noise, but its application on an active international runway was uncharted territory for Tuvalu.
There was understandable skepticism — could something typically used to silence car tires in Auckland really save an airport in the middle of the Pacific?
After intensive technical reviews, including global expert consultations, the answer was yes.
By February 2025, the new porous surface - combined with a reinforcing layer of geogrid - was laid, covering the entire 1,525-meter runway. When the next king tide came, the runway held. No blisters. No cracks. No cancellations.
Since its completion, flights have been more reliable, landings smoother, and the surface has remained stable, even under extreme weather.
This isn’t just an engineering win. It’s a development success story that reflects what long-term commitment, local leadership, and technical flexibility can achieve together.
The Power of Persistence
These unique challenges required numerous project pivots, numerous redesigns and complicated innovations. It required humility from engineers, trust from government leaders, and flexibility from a community that lives right on the edge of the runway.
But today, Funafuti has a climate-resilient runway — one that will serve Tuvalu for many years to come. Flight schedules are more reliable. Emergency evacuations are faster. And the playground, road, and soccer pitch that also happens to be a runway is finally smooth and safe.
