La Tontouta International Airport
La Tontouta International Airport, also known as Nouméa – La Tontouta International Airport (French: Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta; IATA: NOU, ICAO: NWWW), is the main international airport in New Caledonia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southwest Pacific Ocean, as well as the military base (Base aérienne 186 Nouméa) for the French Air Force based in New Caledonia.
Tontouta International Airport Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | New Caledonia Chamber of Commerce & Industry | ||||||||||
| Serves | Nouméa | ||||||||||
| Location | Païta, New Caledonia, France | ||||||||||
| Hub for | Aircalin | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 52 ft / 16 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 22°00′59″S 166°12′58″E | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
NOU/NWWW Location of airport in Païta, New Caledonia NOU/NWWW NOU/NWWW (Oceania) | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||
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Source: Aeroport.fr[1] | |||||||||||
The airport is located in the municipality of Païta, approximately 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Nouméa. La Tontouta International Airport serves international flights, while Nouméa Magenta Airport, within the city of Nouméa, serves domestic flights. The airport is regularly served by four airlines, including Aircalin, which is based at the airport. In 2017, 529,349 passengers used the airport.[2]
History
World War II
Tontouta Air Base was originally constructed by the United States Navy's Seabees for the Pacific Theater of the Second World War. The base had two runways numbered 3/21 and 11/29. The base reverted to local (French) control after the war and today's remaining runway is aligned on 11/29.[3]
United States Army Air Forces units based here included:
- 64th Troop Carrier Squadron operating Douglas C-47 Skytrains in 1943.
- 67th Fighter Squadron operating Bell P-39 Airacobras from 17 March 1942 – 24 April 1943
United States Marine Corps units based here included:
- VMF-212 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats
- VMO-251 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats from June–August 1942
Terminal expansion
A major expansion of the airport's terminal was completed in 2012 after several years of work. The project resulted in a significant increase in the terminal's size and included a new arrivals area, a larger check-in area and the installation of two jetbridges.[4] The terminal now has five stands capable of handling commercial jet aircraft, two of which are served by the new airbridges and three of which utilise stairs to access the aircraft. In addition, the airport has several more stands designed to handle smaller aircraft.
2024 New Caledonia unrest
In response to the 2024 New Caledonia unrest, Nouméa's international airport was closed until 21 May 2024. Due to the airport's closure, Air New Zealand cancelled its flights to Nouméa scheduled for 18 and 20 May.[5]
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights in Nouméa:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | Auckland |
| Aircalin | Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne,[6] Nadi, Papeete, Port Vila, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo–Narita, Wallis Island |
| Fiji Airways | Nadi[7] |
| Qantas | Brisbane, Sydney |
Statistics
| Year | Passengers | Freight (tonnes) | Commercial Aircraft Movements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 359,839 | 5,244 | 3,111 |
| 2001 | 348,025 | 5,061 | 3,118 |
| 2002 | 359,293 | 5,094 | 3,349 |
| 2003 | 371,247 | 5,197 | 3,128 |
| 2004 | 388,308 | 5,200 | 3,330 |
| 2005 | 409,096 | 5,566 | 3,254 |
| 2006 | 415,813 | 5,451 | 3,290 |
| 2007 | 445,305 | 5,606 | 3,440 |
| 2008 | 457,387 | 6,220 | 3,661 |
| 2009 | 462,698 | 5,809 | 3,730 |
| 2010 | 479,803 | 6,221 | 3,797 |
| 2011 | 492,830 | 6,299 | 3,787 |
| 2012 | 486,171 | 5,632 | 3,814 |
| 2013 | 476,174 | 4,953 | 3,701 |
| 2014 | 479,843 | 4,870 | 3,822 |
| 2015 | 497,718 | 4,811 | 3,891 |
| 2016 | 515,166 | 4,407 | 4,052 |
| 2017 | 529,349 | 4,277 | 3,844 |
| 2018 | 538,791 |
See also
- Nouméa Magenta Airport, the domestic airport for Nouméa.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- "Résultats d'activité des aéroports français 2018" (PDF). aeroport.fr. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- "Annual statistics". Archived from the original on 2006-11-25.
- Marine Air Group 25 and SCAT, William M. Armstrong, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2017, p.25
- "Airport Development (Australasia) - No. 911" (PDF). Momberger Airport Information. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- "New Caledonia's Nouméa airport is closed until Tuesday, Air New Zealand says". RNZ. 17 May 2024. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- "Aircalin to restart Melbourne flights after 3 years". Travel Weekly. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- "FIJI AIRWAYS RESUMES NEW CALEDONIA SERVICE FROM NOV 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- "Statistiques annuelles: Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta". Union des Aéroports Français. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
External links
Media related to La Tontouta International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Aéroport international de Nouméa - La Tontouta (official website) (in French)
- French Aeronautical Information Publication for NWWW (PDF) – NOUMÉA LA TONTOUTA
- Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta at L'Union des Aéroports Français (in French)