Fua?amotu International Airport (IATA: TBU, ICAO: NFTF) is an international airport in Tonga. It is on the south side of the main island, Tongatapu, 35 km from the capital of Tonga, Nuku?alofa. Although named after the nearby village of Fua?amotu, which is on Tung?'s (the king's) estate, in reality the airfield is located on the Tu?i Pelehake's estate, closer to the village of Pelehake (which did not yet exist as a village during the early aviation days).
Fua?amotu was originally built in 1942 by a civilian contractor for the US Army. It was intended as a World War II heavy bomber field, and had three coral-surfaced runways. In the late 1970s, it was expanded to permit jet aircraft to use the runways. Fua?amotu is now suitable for up to Boeing 767 size aircraft, but remains closed to larger jets (e.g., 747s).
Fua?amotu International Airport is equipped with VOR/DME (114.5) and NDB (245) navigational facilities. No ILS is available. Lighting is provided for the runway, apron, and taxiway. International airlines with regular services to Fua?amotu include Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways and Virgin Australia. Fiji Airways flies Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Nadi and ATR 42-500 aircraft from Suva (operated by Pacific Sun). Air New Zealand flies Airbus A320 and Boeing 767-300ER aircraft from Auckland. In March 2016, Air New Zealand announced plans to introduce Boeing 787-9s for the route Auckland-Tonga starting on June 15, 2016. Virgin Australia flies a Boeing 737-800 from Sydney and Auckland.
Video Fua?amotu International Airport
Air traffic control
Fua?amotu is a total controlled aerodrome and all traffic are guided by air traffic control. The tower is contactable on 118.5, and Ground on 121.9. Outside of the hours of service at Fua?amotu a limited FIS is available by Auckland Oceanic.
Runway 11/29: (Elev 91 ft/28m) PCN 45 FBXT (Flexible pavement, medium subgrade strength, medium tyre pressure (1,500 kPa (220 psi)), technical evaluation completed). Runway End Identifier Lights are installed at each end of the runway, as are T-VASI glidescope indicators. Low Intensity Runway Lighting is provided, and a simple Low Intensity Lighting Approach Lighting System is installed on Runway 11.
Maps Fua?amotu International Airport
Size restrictions
It is the strength of the runway rather than the length that restricts operations from Fua?amotu. Even a fully laden Boeing 767-300ER on a flexible pavement B strength, such as at this airport, requires a Pavement Classification Number (PCN) of 59, therefore is not allowed to takeoff with full load. The same can be said of a Boeing 747-400, which theoretically could take off and land at Fua?amotu length-wise, but needs a PCN of 66, and would therefore damage the runway severely in the process (A B747-400 weighs over twice as much as a B767-300ER).
Access
There is no public bus service to the airport, but several hostels and hotels in Nuku?alofa meet flights and taxis are available.
Under Tongan law, Fua?amotu International Airport is closed on Sundays -- only to be opened in distress, after the minister's approval.
Some short-haul international flights such as to Fiji or American Samoa also operate from Vava?u Island's Lupepau?u Airport from time to time.
Airlines and destinations
See also
- Transportation in Tonga
References
External links
- Aeronautical chart for NFTF at SkyVector
- Matangi Tonga
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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