Departure
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MY FS FLIGHTS
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La Tontouta International Airport (NWWW/NOU) is the principal international gateway to New Caledonia, sited at Païta some 37 km northwest of Nouméa. It shares its single long hard-surfaced runway with Base aérienne 186 of the French Air Force, and offers ILS-equipped approaches on runway 11.
La Tontouta International Airport, also known as Nouméa-La Tontouta, is the main international airport serving New Caledonia, an overseas French collectivity in the southwest Pacific. It is operated by the New Caledonia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has managed the site since 1968, and it doubles as Base aérienne 186 Nouméa for the French Air Force. For a simulator pilot it is a notable long-haul Pacific hub with a single substantial runway, an ILS approach, and a mix of civil airline traffic and military presence, set against the backdrop of New Caledonia's mountainous interior.
The airport lies in the municipality of Païta, approximately 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Nouméa, the territory's capital. It handles international scheduled and charter services, while Nouméa Magenta Airport, within the city itself, handles domestic flights to the Loyalty Islands and Isle of Pines. Tontouta is served by an approach control frequency and tower, indicating it operates within controlled airspace appropriate to a large international aerodrome.
The airfield has a single physical runway, 11/29, measuring 10,656 ft (3,250 m) and surfaced in hard asphalt. Both directions are lit, and runway 11 is equipped with an ILS approach. Field elevation is 39 ft.
Tontouta Approach operates on 119.7 MHz, with ground movements on 121.7 MHz. Tontouta Information broadcasts on 128.2 MHz, and Tontouta Tower operates on 118.1 MHz, which also serves as a VDF frequency. Runway 11 is served by an ILS.
Tontouta Air Base was originally built by the United States Navy's Seabees and played an active role in the Pacific War during the Second World War, when the base had two runways numbered 3/21 and 11/29. Wartime occupants included the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron, the 67th Fighter Squadron flying P-39 Airacobras, elements of the 11th Bomb Group flying B-17E Flying Fortresses, and United States Marine Corps fighter squadrons VMF-212 and VMO-251 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats. After the war the base reverted to French control, and today's remaining runway is aligned on 11/29, a direct legacy of the wartime layout. The airport has continued to serve a dual civil-military role, with the French Air Force maintaining Base aérienne 186 alongside international civil operations. A major terminal expansion was completed in 2012, adding jetbridges and enlarging the arrivals and check-in areas. In 2024, the airport was closed for a period during civil unrest in New Caledonia, reopening on 21 May 2024.
La Tontouta remains New Caledonia's principal international airport, serving as a hub for Aircalin and hosting scheduled services from carriers including Air Calédonie, Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways and Qantas/QantasLink to destinations across the Pacific, Australasia and beyond. It continues to function alongside its military role as Base aérienne 186 for the French Air Force. Aircraft movements and passenger numbers dipped sharply during the COVID-19 period and the 2024 unrest but have since been recovering, with just over 359,000 passengers and around 3,176 commercial movements recorded in 2024.