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
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
Website	www.aeroports.cci.nc/en/tontouta/
Map
NOU/NWWW Location of airport in Païta, New Caledonia Show map of New Caledonia NOU/NWWW NOU/NWWW (Oceania) Show map of Oceania
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 11/29 3,250 10,663 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers 492,193 Passenger traffic change 53.7% Aircraft movements 3,602 Aircraft movements change 51.3%
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

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.

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 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[9]
QantasLink	Brisbane[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

• Nouméa Magenta Airport, the domestic airport for Nouméa.

References

 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
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. "Aircalin va desservir Paris via Bangkok, une opportunité aussi pour les Polynésiens". Francetvinfo (in French). 14 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
9. 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.

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)