Hawkins seals $50m Nadi airport deal

An artist's impression of the new terminal at Fiji's main airport. The joint project is expected to take 16 months.

Hawkins Construction, New Zealand's second biggest builder, has won the contract for Nadi's international airport terminal in partnership with a local Fiji business.

The company said it would work with joint venture partners Pacific Building Solutions on the 16-month $50 million job for the "demolition, construction, refurbishment and modernisation of the South Pacific's most integral airport and is part of a large modernisation programme by the Fiji Government."

Hawkins has not worked in Fiji before, it said, but the joint venture partner is Fiji's biggest building company.

"The partnership will be a collaborative one with Hawkins bringing their extensive airport knowledge and skills and PBS providing local resources and an understanding of Fiji's weather and construction processes," the business announced.

Hawkins built Christchurch's new international airline terminal, Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre, a new student accommodation block for Auckland University, Hilton Queenstown and Dunedin's covered Forsyth Barr Stadium where the All Blacks won on Saturday.

Paul Youngman, the Hawkins construction manager who worked on the Christchurch job, said the Fiji contract was a great new opportunity for the company.

Work will begin on July 15 and finish by October 15 next year. The project is a 4000sq m increase in floor space, with a new check-in building, additional counters, more carousels, improved accessibility and better passenger flow.