Departure
95%
vs 95%
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Aitutaki Airport (NCAI/AIT) serves the island of Aitutaki in the northern group of the Cook Islands, a short domestic hop from Rarotonga. Built by American and New Zealand forces during the Second World War, it remains the principal outer-island aerodrome, handling scheduled Air Rarotonga services and occasional small private jets.
Aitutaki Airport is the airfield serving the island of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, and is the busiest of the outer-island aerodromes in the group. It is operated by Cook Islands Airports and, despite the sign at its entrance reading 'Aitutaki International Airport', it handles domestic services only, principally to and from Rarotonga. For a simulator pilot it offers an interesting contrast to Rarotonga's international field: a compact tropical strip on a coral atoll with a wartime pedigree and a simple, open-air terminal.
The airfield sits on the island of Aitutaki in the northern Cook Islands, within the wider Cook Islands aviation environment centred on Rarotonga. No specific controlled airspace classification, FIR boundary detail or neighbouring controlled fields are given in the material available.
Aitutaki has two paved (hard-surface) runways, both lit. The longer is runway 14/32, measuring 5,949 feet, oriented northwest-southeast. The shorter is runway 09/27, measuring 4,184 feet, oriented east-west. Field elevation is 16 feet above mean sea level. There is no ILS approach available.
Traffic at Aitutaki works on a common CTAF frequency of 118.1 MHz. No published navaids or instrument approach procedures are noted for the field.
The airfield was originally constructed by United States and New Zealand military forces during the Second World War, and marked its 75th anniversary in 2017. For many years the main runway remained a coral surface, reflecting its wartime origins, before being sealed with bitumen in 2003; the seal was rejuvenated in 2012. As of 2025 there were plans to lengthen and widen the runway further.
Aitutaki functions as the main outer-islands airport in the Cook Islands and is capable of handling small private jet aircraft, with Air Rarotonga's FBO able to arrange international handling for such traffic. Scheduled services are flown by Air Rarotonga using Saab 340A and Embraer Bandeirante aircraft, connecting Aitutaki with Rarotonga and Atiu, with around six domestic arrivals a day in normal operation. The airport has no aircraft refuelling services. The terminal is a simple, largely open-sided structure housing a small convenience stall selling snacks and drinks, along with resort meet-and-greet desks.