Faleolo International Airport is an
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
located west of
Apia
Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō ...
, the capital of
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
.
Until 1984, Faleolo could not accommodate jets larger than a
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...
. Services to the United States, Australia, or New Zealand, could only land at
Pago Pago International Airport
Pago Pago International Airport , also known as Tafuna Airport, is a public airport located 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of the central business district of Pago Pago, in the village and plains of Tafuna on the island of Tutuila in American ...
in
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
. Since the airport's expansion most international traffic now uses Faleolo.
Until 31 December 2019 small
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
aircraft used to connect American Samoa and Samoa from
Fagali'i Airport
Fagali'i Airport is a disused airport located in Fagali'i, Samoa. It has operated intermittently since 1970.
History
In 1939 the New Zealand colonial administration decided to construct two military airfields in Samoa, one each for land- and ...
in the eastern suburbs of Apia. With the closure of Fagali’i Airport, all aircraft now use Faleolo.
History
Faleolo Airfield
In 1942 the New Zealand colonial administration took land from the village of
Satuimalufilufi for defence purposes, forcing it to relocate.
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
SeaBees of 1st Construction Battalion subsequently constructed an airfield and
Naval Base Upolu
Naval Base Upolu was a naval base built by the United States Navy in 1942 to support the World War II effort. The base was located on Upolu Island, Samoa in the Western Pacific Ocean, part of the Samoan Islands's Naval Base Samoa. After the ...
. It became an auxiliary field of
U.S. Naval Station Tutuila in the Samoa Defense Group Area during the Pacific War. Faleolo Airfield was completed by the Seabees in July 1942
and U.S. Marine Fighting Squadron
VMF-111
Marine Fighting Squadron 111 (VMF-111) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Devil Dogs", the squadron was one of the first aviation squadrons in the Marine Corps and gained national attention in the 19 ...
was moved from
Tafuna Airfield to Faleolo Airfield
after the aircraft runway was completed to protect the islands of Upolu and Savai'i from an anticipated Japanese invasion.
The original runway was x and was extended to x in March 1943 to accommodate a taxiway and space for basing of up to 57 fighter aircraft. Airfield support buildings and two hangars were also constructed and completed in March 1943.
Civilian airport
After the war the airport was used for flying boats as part of the
coral route, but the airstrip itself was little-used. It was upgraded in 1957 to allow the change-over from seaplanes to land-based aircraft. Heavy rain and flooding in 1967 eroded the airstrip and forced it to be closed for three days. The Samoan government subsequently sought a loan from New Zealand and the
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field offic ...
to upgrade it to take heavier aircraft. The upgrade was completed in April 1972, giving a sealed runway. The extended airport was capable of handling jets up to the size of a
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...
, enabling direct flights to New Zealand. Desire for increased tourism saw it upgraded again over 1984-1985 to enable large jets. It was further upgraded in 2000.
Land claim
While the land was taken for defence purposes during wartime, it was not returned when the war ended, and was later transferred to the
Western Samoa Trust Estates Corporation.
[ This has been contested since Samoan independence in 1962, resulting in ongoing protests and legal action. In 1985, villagers occupied some of the land, resulting in prosecution for trespass.][ In 1998 villagers slaughtered government cattle and fired on police as part of a dispute over ownership. In 2012, the 50th anniversary of independence, they petitioned for its return, stopped survey work, and blocked the road to the airport. In 2018 the Samoan government forcibly relocated families to allow for a further extension to the airport to be constructed.
]
Facilities
The airport is at an elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...
of above mean sea level
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value (magnitude and sign) of a given data set.
For a data set, the '' ari ...
. It has one runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
designated 08/26 with an asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
surface measuring .[Airport information for NSFA](_blank)
from DAFIF
DAFIF () or the ''Digital Aeronautical Flight Information File'' is a comprehensive database of up-to-date aeronautical data, including information on airports, airways, airspaces, navigation data, and other facts relevant to flying in the entire w ...
(effective October 2006) The Pavement Classification Number
The Aircraft Classification Number (ACN) – Pavement Classification Number (PCN) method is a standardized international airport pavement rating system promulgated by the ICAO in 1981. The method has been the official ICAO pavement rating system f ...
for the runway is 058FBXT.
Faleolo Tower has some jurisdiction over the airspace of American Samoa and Tonga as well as its own airspace. It is assisted by the tower at Nadi, Fiji and the whole area is under Oceanic Control from Auckland, New Zealand.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
* On 11 December 1950 a Royal New Zealand Air Force Consolidated PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wi ...
crashed shortly after takeoff from the lagoon, killing seven people. One crew member and five passengers survived the crash.
*On 13 January 1970, Polynesian Airlines
Samoa Airways, formerly Polynesian Airlines, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Samoa.
The airline was founded in 1959 as "Polynesian Airlines", providing domestic and international flights throughout the South Pacific. International ope ...
Flight 208B, operated by Douglas C-47B
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft
A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to su ...
5W-FAC crashed into the sea shortly after take-off on an international non-scheduled passenger flight to Pago Pago International Airport
Pago Pago International Airport , also known as Tafuna Airport, is a public airport located 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of the central business district of Pago Pago, in the village and plains of Tafuna on the island of Tutuila in American ...
, American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
. All 32 people on board were killed.
*On 14 September 1994, a Polynesian Airlines
Samoa Airways, formerly Polynesian Airlines, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Samoa.
The airline was founded in 1959 as "Polynesian Airlines", providing domestic and international flights throughout the South Pacific. International ope ...
Boeing 737-300
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
, from Fuaʻamotu International Airport
Fuaamotu International Airport is an international airport in Tonga. It is on the south side of the main island, Tongatapu, 20 km from the capital of Tonga, Nukualofa. Although named after the nearby village of Fuaʻamotu, which is on Tung ...
in Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
could not extend its undercarriage because of the body of a male stowaway which was jammed in the wheel well. The flight made an emergency landing at Faleolo using only the nosewheel and port undercarriage with minimal damage to the aircraft. Eye witness and author Ruperake Petaia wrote ''The Miracle'' (1996, 2013) based on a number of passenger accounts of the event.
*In 2000, Air New Zealand flight NZ60 nearly overshot the runway due to a faulty instrument landing system
In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
, which had been accidentally damaged by a digger. The pilots took a number of measures to successfully prevent an accident, which were incorporated into a training video. Key points from the video that averted disaster included the pilots' unease about the ILS glideslope capture, the conflict between the aircraft's altitude and the functioning Distance Measuring Equipment, and their familiarity with the approach into Faleolo which caused them to realise they were not where they were supposed to be, had the ILS been functioning correctly. For these reasons they initiated a go around, and used the VOR/DME equipment for the second and successful approach.
References
External links
*
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{{authority control
Airports in Samoa
Apia
A'ana
Tutuila