Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Honiara International Airport, located on Guadalcanal, is the primary gateway to the Solomon Islands and a critical hub for national trade, tourism, and development. To expand capacity and ease congestion, a major infrastructure upgrade was undertaken, which included constructing a new departure terminal and taxiway, as well as repurposing the existing international terminal for domestic flights.
To support these upgrades, Dewick & Associates was engaged by mechanical contractor Duct Air Drafting to produce the Mechanical Services Engineering Commissioning Plan and O&M Manuals. This provided the airport’s facilities management team with a compliant, structured documentation package for all newly installed mechanical systems.
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The mechanical contractor Duct Air Drafting delivered the mechanical services works, including HVAC systems designed for a tropical climate environment, hydraulic services, and associated plant that support the terminal’s passenger, staff and operational functions. Aviation infrastructure in the Pacific operates in a unique environment where the combination of tropical climate, humidity, salt air and the continuous operational requirements of an international gateway creates demanding conditions for building services systems.
The contractor engaged Dewick & Associates to produce the mechanical services engineering, commissioning plan and O&M Manuals that would close out the mechanical handover to the standards required for Pacific aviation infrastructure and give the airport’s management team documentation they could rely on for the life of the installation.
Mechanical documentation for a Pacific international airport carries a combination of challenges. The tropical climate places continuous strain on HVAC and mechanical systems, with high humidity, heat and coastal conditions accelerating corrosion and component degradation. This requires O&M documentation that clearly defines operating parameters and maintenance intervals suited to harsher than normal conditions. In addition, airport operations are governed by strict aviation safety regulations, commissioning verification requirements and compliance standards that must be evidenced in documentation. Maintenance must also be carefully scheduled around continuous flight operations while remote location constraints limit access to specialist support and parts increasing reliance on accurate manuals.
Dewick & Associates delivered a complete suite of mechanical services documentation, including heat load assessments, a Mechanical Services Commissioning Plan and a comprehensive Mechanical Services O&M Manual. The heat load assessments confirmed the design criteria complied with the project’s performance requirements, while the Commissioning Plan established a structured framework for pre-commissioning, functional testing and performance verification. It included key project contacts, installation descriptions, testing procedures and commissioning forms, helping ensure the mechanical systems operated safely, efficiently and in accordance with the design intent before handover.
The Mechanical Services O&M Manual provided a complete operational reference for the installed systems, incorporating the scope of works, system descriptions, equipment schedules, operating procedures, fault-finding guides, Preventative maintenance requirements, manufacturer literature and technical data. It also included dedicated sections for contractor certificates, commissioning results and as-installed drawings, providing the facilities team with the information needed to operate, maintain and manage the mechanical assets throughout their lifecycle while supporting compliance with project, regulatory and operational requirements.
The completed documentation package gave Honiara International Airport a structured, project-specific reference for managing its mechanical assets throughout their operational life. Facilities personnel can confidently access commissioning records, maintenance requirements and system information to support planned maintenance, minimise downtime and maintain reliable building performance within a busy international airport environment.
For Duct Air Drafting, the documentation provided a professionally managed project close-out, demonstrating that the mechanical services had been commissioned, documented and handed over in accordance with the project specifications and applicable aviation and construction requirements. The result is a complete, compliant record that supports future maintenance, regulatory inspections and ongoing airport operations.
For a no-obligation quote on your next Pacific or international project, contact Dewick & Associates.
For a no-obligation quote on your next Pacific or international project, contact Dewick & Associates.
The content in this case study has been informed by project documentation and client communication provided to Dewick & Associates during and following the completion of the project. Where external sources have contributed to our understanding of relevant standards or industry practice, these are listed below.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. The file Honiara Airport, Solomon Islands can be viewed on wikimedia.
Note: Some content in this case study draws on a combination of sources rather than direct quotation. Where this is the case, contributing sources are acknowledged above rather than cited inline.
A strategic document which outlines the process, schedule, and responsibilities for testing a building’s systems to ensure they operate exactly as designed, including:
Technical authoring of O&M Manuals enabling efficient plant operation and effective maintenance for equipment longevity, including:
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