| Tontouta International Airport Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| IATA: NOU – ICAO: NWWW | |||
| 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 / 22.01639°S 166.21611°ECoordinates: 22°00′59″S 166°12′58″E / 22.01639°S 166.21611°E | ||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 11/29 | 3,250 | 10,663 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2018) | |||
| Passengers | 538,791 | ||
| Passenger traffic change |  1.8%
| ||
| Source : Aeroport.fr[1] | |||
La Tontouta International Airport, also known as Nouméa – La Tontouta International Airport (French; IATA: NOU, ICAO: NWWW) is the main international airport in New Caledonia, France and the military base for the French Air Force based in New-Caledonia. The airport is in the municipality of Païta, approximately 52 km (32 mi) northwest of Nouméa. La Tontouta International Airport serves international flights, while Noumea Magenta Airport, located 38 km south-east within the city of Noumea, 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
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:
- VMF-212 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats
- VMO-251 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats from June–August 1942
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.
Airlines and destinations[]
Passenger[]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | Auckland |
| Air Vanuatu | Luganville, Port Vila |
| Aircalin | Auckland, Brisbane, Nadi, Papeete, Port Vila, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo–Narita, Wallis Island |
| Qantas | Brisbane, Sydney |
Cargo[]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Pacific Air Express | Brisbane[citation needed] |
Statistics[]
Template:Airport-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 website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- ↑ "Résultats d'activité des aéroports français 2018". https://www.aeroport.fr/uploads/Rapport%20d'activit%C3%A9%20final.pdf.
- ↑ "Annual statistics". http://www.aeroport.fr/les-aeroports-de-l-uaf/stats-noumea-la-tontouta.php.
- ↑ Marine Air Group 25 and SCAT, William M. Armstrong, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2017, p.25 [1]
- ↑ "Airport Development (Australasia) - No. 911". 25 August 2011. http://www.mombergerairport.info/userfiles/files/911DEV.pdf.
- ↑ "Statistiques annuelles: Aéroport de Nouméa - La Tontouta". Union des Aéroports Français. http://www.aeroport.fr/view-statistiques/noumea-la-tontouta.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to La Tontouta International Airport. |
- 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)
The original article can be found at La Tontouta International Airport and the edit history here.