In 1942 the New Zealand colonial administration took land from the village of Satuimalufilufi for defence purposes, forcing it to relocate.

After the war the airport was used for flying boats as part of the coral route,[6] but the airstrip itself was little-used.

[9] The Samoan government subsequently sought a loan from New Zealand and the Asian Development Bank to upgrade it to take heavier aircraft.

[11] The extended airport was capable of handling jets up to the size of a Boeing 737, enabling direct flights to New Zealand.

[14] While the land was taken for defence purposes during wartime, it was not returned when the war ended, and was later transferred to the Western Samoa Trust Estates Corporation.

[15] In 2012, the 50th anniversary of independence, they petitioned for its return,[16][17] stopped survey work,[18] and blocked the road to the airport.