La Tontouta International Airport

Tontouta International Airport

Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/public
OperatorNew Caledonia Chamber of Commerce & Industry
ServesNouméa
LocationPaïta, New Caledonia, France
Hub forAircalin
Elevation AMSL52 ft / 16 m
Coordinates22°00′59″S 166°12′58″E / 22.01639°S 166.21611°E / -22.01639; 166.21611
Websitewww.aeroports.cci.nc/en/tontouta/
Map
NOU/NWWW is located in New Caledonia
NOU/NWWW
NOU/NWWW
Location of airport in Païta, New Caledonia
NOU/NWWW is located in Oceania
NOU/NWWW
NOU/NWWW
NOU/NWWW (Oceania)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11/29 3,250 10,663 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers492,193
Passenger traffic changeIncrease 53.7%
Aircraft movements3,602
Aircraft movements changeIncrease 51.3%
Source: Aeroport.fr[1]

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.

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:

Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress of the 11th Bomb Group, 43d Bomb Squadron at Tontouta in August 1942

United States Marine Corps units based here included:

Terminal expansion

An Air France Boeing 747-400 at La Tontouta Airport in February 2000
An Air Calin Airbus A330-200 at the airport in July 2011, with the terminal redevelopment underway in the background
A garden on the ground floor of the terminal

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:

AirlinesDestinations
Air Calédonie Port Vila[6]
Air New Zealand Auckland (resumes 23 June 2025)[7]
Aircalin Auckland, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi,[8] Brisbane, Nadi, Papeete, Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[8] Port Vila, Singapore, Sydney, Wallis Island
Fiji Airways Nadi (suspended)[9][10]
Qantas Sydney (suspended)[9]
QantasLinkBrisbane[11]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at NOU airport. See Wikidata query.
Nouméa - La Tontouta[12]
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

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ "Résultats d'activité des aéroports français 2018" (PDF). aeroport.fr. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Annual statistics". Archived from the original on 2006-11-25.
  3. ^ Marine Air Group 25 and SCAT, William M. Armstrong, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2017, p.25 [1]
  4. ^ "Airport Development (Australasia) - No. 911" (PDF). Momberger Airport Information. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "Air Caledonie Begins Noumea – Port Vila Service From Oct 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Air New Zealand resumes flights to Noumea in June 2025".
  8. ^ a b "Aircalin va desservir Paris via Bangkok, une opportunité aussi pour les Polynésiens". Francetvinfo (in French). 14 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  9. ^ a b Dingwall, Doug (29 June 2024). "Riot-stricken New Caledonia is empty of travellers. Businesses hope it can regain its place as a Pacific tourism jewel". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  10. ^ "FIJI AIRWAYS RESUMES NEW CALEDONIA SERVICE FROM NOV 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Qantas Tentatively Resumes Noumea Service From Nov 2024".
  12. ^ "Statistiques annuelles: Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta". Union des Aéroports Français. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2018.

Media related to La Tontouta International Airport at Wikimedia Commons