La Tontouta International Airport


La Tontouta International Airport, also known as Nouméa – La Tontouta International Airport is the main international airport in New Caledonia. The airport is in the municipality of Païta, approximately 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.

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 control after the war and today's remaining runway is aligned on 11/29.
United States Army Air Forces units based here included:
United States Marine Corps units based here included:
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. 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

Cargo

Statistics