The runways were constructed by the US Corps of Engineers .
The first American armed forces arrived at the airport on 30 November 1941 and expanded the facilities to be a transport base for sending Lend - Lease supplies to England via air routes across the South Atlantic Ocean .
The runways were constructed by the American Corps of Engineers .
The first American armed forces arrived at the airport on 30 November 1941 and expanded the facilities to be a transport base for sending Lend - Lease supplies to England via air routes across the South Atlantic Ocean .