- Faa'a International Airport
-
Faa'a International Airport
Aéroport International Tahiti Faa'a
IATA: PPT – ICAO: NTAA Location of the Airport in French Polynesia
PPTSummary Airport type Public Operator SETIL - Aéroports Serves Tahiti, French Polynesia Location Papeete Hub for Air Tahiti
Air Tahiti NuiElevation AMSL 5 ft / 2 m Coordinates 17°33′24″S 149°36′41″W / 17.55667°S 149.61139°W Website Runways Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 3,420 11,220 Bitumen Sources: French AIP[1] 
Air Tahiti Nui Airbus A340 at the airport
Faa'a International Airport or Tahiti Faa'a International Airport (French: Aéroport International Tahiti Faa'a) (IATA: PPT, ICAO: NTAA) is located in the commune (municipality) of Faa'a, on the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, 5 km (3.1 mi) west southwest[1] from the town center of Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.[1] It is the only airport in French Polynesia serving international flights.
Because of limited level terrain, rather than leveling large stretches of sloping agricultural land, the airport is built primarily on reclaimed land on the coral reef just off-shore. The airport, operated by Setil Aéroports, has a single 3,420 m (11,220 ft) runway,[1] large and sound enough to accommodate all commercial and military aircraft.
Air Tahiti has its head office on the airport property.[2]
Contents
Airlines and destinations
Airlines Destinations Air France Los Angeles, Paris-Charles de Gaulle [resumes 28 March 2012] Air Moorea Moorea Air New Zealand Auckland Air Tahiti Ahe, Atuona, Arutua, Bora Bora, Fakarava, Gambier, Hao, Huahine, Kaukura, Manihi, Maupiti, Makemo, Moorea, Matavia, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Rangiroa, Rarotonga, Rimatara, Rurutu, Raivavae, Tikehau, Takapoto, Takaroa, Tubuai, Ua Huka, Ua Pou Air Tahiti Nui Auckland, Los Angeles, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Tokyo-Narita
Seasonal: SydneyAircalin Nouméa Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu LAN Airlines Hanga Roa, Santiago de Chile Overview
The Faaa International Airport is a relatively small airport. Air Tahiti has flights every day going to all the other islands in French Polynesia while international flights go to different countries such as the United States or New Zealand. The airport is on Tahiti which is an island among the Windward Islands: the eastern part of the Society Islands. Moorea can be seen across the Pacific Ocean and Mount Tohivea is a major mountain on Moorea. The airport has a 70 foot tall control tower and one long runway for both French Polynesia flights over to other islands, and international flights going out of the territory.
Terminals
There are 5 terminals within one main building. Terminal 2 is the busiest terminal with cafes and souvinir shops. There is an area called the Mahina lounge. There is only one McDonald's at the airport and it is one of the only McDonald's in all of French Polynesia. The conveyer belts are rubber and transport luggage about 40 feet. The floors in all of the terminals are brown tile. There are metal chairs and wooden benches throughout the airport in which people wait for the bus or other islanders to pick them up.
Mahina Lounge
The Mahina Lounge is a small airside after the security area. The Mahina Lounge consist of a small cafe, a jewelry boutique, and a souvinir shop. The cafe has only a few chairs and offers Wine, French Pastries, and other foods. The small resturant is called the Faaa Cafe and is near the entrance to the Mahina Lounge. The jewelry shop offers Tahitian jewelry and some dresses. The souvinir shop offers Postcards, Magnets, T-Shirts and Tahitian Magazines. The souvinir shop has a border with the jewelry shop and People are allowed to go through the border when they have purchased their souvinirs. The open area of the lounge contains 50 purple seats in 5 rows. When the passengers are ready, they get to go to the departure gate which just behind a wall.
Cafes
McDonald's is at terminal 2 and is close to the conveyer belts. The cafe of terminal 4 is a major cafe at the airport and also in all of Tahiti. There is a small grass ceiling over the cafe and people can hear the airplanes landing and taking off.
Incidents
- On 13 July 1973, Pan Am Flight 816, a Boeing 707, crashed into the sea just after take-off. 72 of the 73 on board were killed.[3]
- On 12 September 1993, Air France flight 72, a 747-428, ran off the runway on landing, running into the reef at the end of the tarmac. The nose of the 747 was submerged in the water. There were no fatalities.[4]
- On 24 December 2000, Hawaiian Airlines flight 481, a DC-10-10, overshot the runway landing and slid off the tarmac during a bad storm. There was one minor injury and no fatalities.[5]
Location and Geography
The airport is located just south of the town center of Papeete, on the island of Tahiti, in the commune of Faaa, the largest commune of French Polynesia. Tahiti is located in the northwestern part of French Polynesia, and has the only international airport in the territory. The Papenoo River is the closest river to the airport. Mount Orohena is a major mountain inland from the airport. There is a small pass between the land and the coral reef where people sometimes swim. The airport is built on some coral reef because of the limited flat land. Just to the north of the airport is a small public beach of Papeete. The airport runway keeps going until it finally ends. To the south of the airport is a small bay where Tahiti's west coast freeway turns inland.
Ground Transportation
Many buses come into the airport from Papeete, the main bus being the Faaa airport shuttle which goes along Tahiti's west coast freeway, which passes in front of the main terminal. The parking lot has traffic guards in which 3,000 people pass through each month. The parking lot has one tiki.
See Also
References
- ^ a b c d NTAA – Tahiti Faa'a (PDF). AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 17 Nov 2011.
- ^ "Préambule" Air Tahiti. Retrieved on 2 February 2011. "Société Air Tahiti Société Anonyme au capital de 2 760 000 000 CFP Siège social : aéroport de Tahiti - Faaa BP 314 - 98713 Papeete – Tahiti – Polynésie Française ."
- ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network for Pan Am Flight 816
- ^ AirDisaster.Com: Accident Photo: Air France F-GITA
- ^ Accident on at Tahiti Faaa Airport to the DC10-10 registered N132AA operated by Hawaiian Airlines
External links
- Official website (French)
- Aéroport de Tahiti - Faa'a (Union des Aéroports Français) (French)
- Current weather for NTAA at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for PPT at Aviation Safety Network
Categories:- Airports in French Polynesia
- Airports in Tahiti
- Papeete
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
