Yes — Nadi International Airport now holds formal recognition for its accessibility work. It has achieved Level 1 accreditation under the Airports Council International Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation Programme, and per Fiji Airports, the accreditation is valid until 31 July 2029. That gives travellers with disabilities a documented, independently assessed starting point — and a clear set of questions to ask before they fly.
The practical value here is not the certificate itself. It is what the airport says it has already done, and what it has promised next. Both are on the record, and both can shape how you plan a trip through Nadi. We covered a connected angle in How Do You Read With Low Vision On Screens?.
What Level 1 actually means
Level 1 is the first of three levels under the ACI programme, with Level 3 the highest. An independent assessment found that Nadi is well positioned to progress towards Level 2, while also identifying areas where further improvements can be made. According to Fijivillage, ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci said the airport demonstrated its commitment to accessibility through the evidence presented during the evaluation process.
So treat Level 1 as a foundation, not a finish line. Fiji Airports Chief Executive Mesake Nawari said the ambition does not stop at Level 1, and that the airport wants to address areas for improvement and work progressively towards higher levels.
What the airport has already put in place
The accreditation builds on a specific list of initiatives, which is worth knowing before you travel:
- Disability access audits that involved people with lived experience of disability.
- Stronger engagement with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities.
- Accessibility and disability inclusion training for staff.
- Accessibility requirements integrated into procurement and infrastructure planning.
- Continued improvement of accessible passenger facilities and services.
Nawari said the goal is an airport where accessibility, dignity, safety and inclusion are considered at every stage of the passenger journey, so that every person travelling through Fiji's main international gateway can move through with greater confidence, independence and dignity.
How to use this when you book
Because the accreditation is documented and dated, you can plan against it rather than hope. A short checklist grounded in the reported facts:
- Check the accreditation's validity window. Level 1 status runs until 31 July 2029, so any trip inside that period falls under the assessed programme.
- Ask about the trained staff. The airport reports accessibility and disability inclusion training for its team — worth confirming with your airline or the airport when arranging assistance.
- Expect audits informed by lived experience. The access audits involved people with disabilities, which suggests the airport's own gap analysis is already documented.
- Watch for the next level. Fiji Airports says its focus towards Level 2 includes strengthening accessibility governance and planning, increasing stakeholder participation, improving access to information, and enhancing the end-to-end passenger journey.
That last point matters most for trip planning. "Improving access to information" is a named priority, so if information you need is not yet accessible, asking for it now supports the airport's own stated direction.
What the accreditation is anchored to
The programme aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the 2019 ACI World Annual General Assembly resolution, and ICAO Assembly Resolution A41-15 on Accessibility in International Civil Aviation. Fiji Airports also ties its work to Fiji's Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018, the National Policy on Persons with Disabilities 2025, and the country's Civil Aviation Master Plan 2026–2031.
For a traveller, this matters in one practical way: the airport's commitments sit inside a framework of national and international obligations, not a single press release. Nawari also called accessibility a shared responsibility, naming employees, aviation partners, stakeholders, passengers, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and the wider community as participants in identifying and removing barriers.
Preparing the reading side of the trip
An airport's accessibility is only half the journey. The hours in the air and the waiting time are where your own devices carry the load. If you read with low vision, our guide to reading with low vision on screens covers the settings worth setting before you leave. And if you are choosing a device for travel at all, the accessible e-reader checklist walks through what to verify before you buy. For related coverage, see What Should You Check Before Buying An Accessible E-Reader?.
For a broader view of how accessible reading fits together — devices, formats and publishing — the site's accessibility hub collects that coverage in one place.
The evidence here establishes what Nadi has achieved and what it has committed to next. It does not document every individual facility or service detail, so confirm specifics with the airport or your airline when you book. The independent assessment itself flagged that further improvements can be made — and per Fiji Airports, the airport welcomes the challenge.