Palau: Airport Master Plan Update and Airport System Review Technical Assistance
December 11, 2025
- February 6, 2026
The Palau National Aviation Administration (“PNAA”) invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the “Proposal”) from interested U.S. firms that are qualified based on experience and capability to perform technical assistance (“TA”) related to the development of critical infrastructure upgrades at Palau International Airport (the “Project”) in Palau. The Proposal submission deadline is 5 p.m. Local Time (Koror, Palau)/ 3 a.m. EST on February 6, 2026. The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a US$1,370,000 grant to the PNAA from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
About the Grantee
The PNAA was created by the government of Palau as an independent agency to establish an administration compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”) requirements to regulate and oversee civil aviation safety and security in Palau. The PNAA, as the national civil aviation regulator, is mandated to promulgate National Aviation Rules & Regulations and to adopt and implement ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices to be followed by airports, air carriers serving the country, and other users of Palau’s navigable airspace.
Project Background
Like many other Pacific Island Countries (“PICs”), Palau’s economy is highly reliant on tourism, subsistence agriculture, fishing, and foreign aid from bilateral and multilateral donors. Aviation is a vital industry for Palau, and the PICs broadly, because of its remoteness and isolated geography. According to the Asian Development Bank (“ADB”), the PICs are likely the most air-dependent region in the world. Airline connectivity is critical for driving tourism, as well as education, employment opportunities, healthcare access, and the delivery of goods and services. Palau is seeking to upgrade and expand its aviation infrastructure to facilitate further economic development, allow more and larger airplanes to land, and advance social development objectives.
There are several critical upgrades that are needed at Palau International Airport, such as repairing failed slope areas that have eroded away near the sole existing runway, improvements to airfield drainage and erosion control, expanding the terminal apron to better support ground service equipment, the replacement of outdated aircraft rescue and firefighting (“ARFF”) trucks, updates and maintenance for the ARFF facility, constructing a parallel taxiway, and replacing airfield lighting. Small island nations, such as Palau, often have one airport that is primarily used for commercial aviation, but, as the only major airport, it is also occasionally used for non-commercial flights.
About the TA
The objectives of the TA will be to: 1) develop an updated Airport Master Plan (“AMP”) for ROR, utilizing the existing 2012 AMP as a baseline; 2) conduct an in-depth assessment or ROR’s current condition to develop a Capital Improvement Plan (“CIP”) that includes all projects and activities necessary for improving the airport in the short, medium, and long term; and 3) review Palau’s system of airports to determine development needs at ROR, as well as the airstrips on the islands of Peleliu and Angaur.
