From the beginning of the Guadalcanal Campaign it was planned that the area would be developed into a major air base.

In November 1942 the 6th Naval Construction Battalion began work on a fighter strip at Lunga Point.

The 6th Battalion was later replaced by the First Marine Aviation Engineers who completed the coral-surfaced runway by 1 January 1943.

[1] The 26th Battalion built a tank farm providing storage for 2,000,000 US gallons (7,600,000 L; 1,700,000 imp gal) of aviation gasoline, 1,000,000 US gallons (3,800,000 L; 830,000 imp gal) of motor gasoline, and 42,000 US gallons (160,000 L; 35,000 imp gal) of diesel oil.

[1]: 249 USAAF units based at Kukum included: USMC units based at Kukum included: Royal New Zealand Air Force units based at Kukum included: Kukum Field remained operational after the war as a civilian airfield until 1969 when Henderson Field was modernized and reopened as Honiara International Airport.