Funafuti International Airport
Funafuti International Airport | |||||||||||
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AMSL 9 ft / 3 m | | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 08°31′30″S 179°11′47″E / 8.52500°S 179.19639°E | ||||||||||
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Source:[1] |
Funafuti International Airport (
History
Funafuti Airport was built by a
The military airfield included an airstrip, control tower and facilities,[4][6] with a radio station at Tepuka, connected by cable to the airfield. The base headquarters buildings were at the present-day Teagai Apelu's residence, and a bunker is there to this day.
The first offensive operation was launched on 20 April 1943 when 22
The airfield became the headquarters of the
By the middle of 1944, as the fighting moved further north toward Japan, the Americans began to withdraw. By the time the Pacific War ended in 1945, nearly all of them, with their equipment, departed.[4][10][11] After the war, the military airfield was developed into a commercial airport.
Facilities
The airport is at an
The runway was originally constructed using coral aggregate and has a sub-base layer of 8 cm thick coral gravel, surfaced with a 1–2 cm asphalt chip seal. It was resurfaced in 1992 and the runway was rated at 50 tonnes landing capacity; it was reduced to 20 tonnes landing capacity due to sub-surface water, deterioration of the sub-base and lack of surface maintenance.[3] However, the runway was resurfaced in 2015 so that the pavement would be re-rated.[12]
The deterioration of the runway's sub-base is a consequence of its low elevation and the
In 2011
In 2018, Tuvalu has opened a new international airport terminal.[19]
The airport is somewhat unusual due to limited space on the island, the runway is used as a common area for sporting and social activities when not in use. Sirens sound when a plane is landing, warning civilians to stay clear of the runway.[20]
Airlines and destinations
Fiji Airways operates services 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) between Suva and Funafuti and once a week (Monday) between Nadi and Funafuti with ATR 72-600 aircraft, which has a capacity of up to 72 passengers.[3][21]
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Fiji Airways | Nadi,[21] Suva |
Historical service no longer offered
Up to 1999 Air Marshall Islands operated a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 with a passenger load of 55.
In 2001 the government of Tuvalu purchased a share of Air Fiji, which provided Tuvalu with greater control of its airline access; however, Air Fiji ceased operations in 2009.[3]
From 21 March 2018 to 21 September 2021,
See also
References
- ^ a b c Airport information for Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu (NGFU / FUN) at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ Lal, Andrick. South Pacific Sea Level & Climate Monitoring Project - Funafuti atoll (PDF). SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC Division of SPC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-03.
- ^ a b c d e Andrew McIntyre; Brian Bell; Solofa Uota (February 2012). ""Fakafoou – To Make New": Tuvalu Infrastructure Strategy and Investment Plan" (PDF). Government of Tuvalu. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 236.
- ^ "To the Central Pacific and Tarawa, August 1943 - Background to GALVANIC (Ch 16, p. 622)". Retrieved 2010-09-03.
- ^ McKillop, Jack. "Ellice Islands". Funafuti, Naval Advance Base. Archived from the original on 18 November 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ a b James C. Olson; Wesley Frank Craven; James Lea Cate (eds.). "Chapter 9, The Gilberts and Marshalls". Army Air Forces in World War II: Vol. IV, The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan - August 1942 to July 1944. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- OCLC 1261876.
- ISBN 978-1-56311-926-2.
- ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- ^ www.pacificwrecks.com
- ^ a b "Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan for: Funafuti Airport and Road Tuvalu Aviation Investment Project (TvAIP)" (PDF). World Bank (SFG1582). April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- S2CID 32336745.
- . Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ "Pacific Aviation Investment Program (PAIP) Environmental Management Plan - Funafuti International Airport(FUN) and Road Interim Working Document" (PDF). AECOM. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ "World Bank Approves Additional Funds for Tuvalu". World Bank. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ "Tuvalu Aviation Investment Project (TvAIP)". Government of Tuvalu/World Bank. 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ "Tuvalu's international airport to be upgraded". Radio New Zealand. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ a b "New airport terminal opens in Tuvalu". Radio New Zealand (RNZ). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "A plane landing at Tuvalu's tiny airport in Funafuti in 2013". PT&I Video Hosting. 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Fiji Airways Schedules Regular Nadi – Funafuti Service in 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Funafuti Service". Air Kiribati. 2018. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
External links
- Current weather for NGFU at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for FUN at Aviation Safety Network