Vanuata Intl. Airport also known as Bauerfield International Airport (VLI/NVVV) is Vanuatu’s main airport. Although it is a rather small airport, it handles quite a number of flights. Several flights of JetStar, Qantas and Virgin Australia arrive every day around midday to late afternoon and return back to Australia about an hour after arrival. Solomon Airlines is another common airline, which serves destinations in New Zealand almost every day and connects further on to Honiara. Fiji Airways operates up to twice daily, while Air Caledonie and Air Niugini operate only once or twice per week. Air Vanuatu is based in Port Vila and operates all their fleet from here. Several smaller local airlines like Unity Airlines, Air Taxi Vanuatu or Belair Airways operate charter flights on Britten Norman Islanders and can be seen every day.

Written by Sebastian Arndt. Last Update: 2026

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
11/29	2600 m asphalt
Terminals
T1	One international terminal and one domestic terminal, which are located right next to each other.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Useful at spots 2 and 3.
Car/Public Transport	Technically, all spots can be reached by public transportation, which runs occasionally on demand only.
Drinks/Food	Restaurants can be found in the terminal.
Hotels	No hotels useable for spotting around.
Season	Preferrably, in the dry season from May to October.
Security	No problems reported. I felt safe all the time, even at the spots further away.
Runway Usage
General Info	Runway usage depends on the wind conditions, no pattern recognizeable.

	Spot #1 – Fence Terminal – Apron
WHERE	This spot is located right next to the domestic terminal, where you can stand by the fence and get a view of the apron.
WHAT	All apron traffic and parked aircraft.
TIME	Late afternoon until sunset.
MISC.	Often, aircraft are parked here blocking the view for aircraft taxiing on the apron. Their produced heat can disturb the pictures.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm A320 = 55mm

VLI-Spot1

VLI-Spot1

VLI-Spot1

	Spot #2 – Crash gate – 11/29 Movements
WHERE	You can follow a dirt road along the airport fence from the terminal, either by car or on foot (20 min), spot some abandoned aircraft along the way, until the road makes a turn. Position yourfelf at the crash gate there. It is also possible to take photos all the way between the terminal and this spotting location through the fence. Local minibusses sometimes pass by, but are more handy on the way back into town.
WHAT	All runway traffic.
TIME	Late afternoon until sunset.
MISC.	High grass can block the view. Heat haze may be an issue. There is no shade and no facilities here.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm ATR72 = 100mm

VLI-Spot2

VLI-Spot2

VLI-Spot2

	Spot #3 – Turning Pad – 11/29 Movements
WHERE	Either catch a minibus from spot 2 or walk for another 15 min around the runway end until you reach the turning pad. The fence is not that high, but a 2 step ladder will clear the fence.
WHAT	All runway traffic.
TIME	All day depending on the angle for the turning pad. Morning until mid afternoon for RWY 11 arrivals.
MISC.	High grass can block the view. Heat haze may be an issue. There is no shade and no facilities here.
FOCAL LENGTH	A320 landing = 35mm / A320 turning on pad = 50mm

VLI-Spot3

VLI-Spot3

VLI-Spot3

VLI-Spot3