Nouméa Magenta Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nouméa Magenta Airport l'Aéroport de Nouméa Magenta
IATA: GEA ICAO: NWWM
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	DSEAC Nouvelle-Calédonie
Location	Nouméa
Elevation AMSL	9 ft / 3 m
Coordinates	22°15′30″S 166°28′22″E / 22.25833°S 166.47278°E / -22.25833; 166.47278
Maps
Noumea in New Caledonia
GEA /NWWM Location in New Caledonia Show map of New Caledonia GEA /NWWM Location in Oceania Show map of Oceania
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 17/35 1,250 4,101 Paved
Statistics (2018)
Passengers 454,540 Passenger traffic change 6.0%
Source : Aeroport.fr AIP

Nouméa Magenta Airport (French: l'Aéroport de Nouméa Magenta) (IATA: GEA, ICAO: NWWM) is a busy airport in New Caledonia. It is mainly used for flights within the country. The airport is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) east of Nouméa, the capital city. It is also about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from La Tontouta International Airport. In 2017, over 428,000 passengers traveled through this airport.

Air Calédonie, a local airline, has its main office right at the airport.

A Look Back: The Airport's History

This section will tell you how Nouméa Magenta Airport came to be. It started as a simple landing spot. Over the years, it grew into an important airport.

Early Flights and Beginnings

• 1931: The very first airplane landed on the beach in Magenta. This was a biplane, which is an old type of plane with two sets of wings.
• 1934: A flying club called L'Aéro-club Calédonien was created. This helped more people learn about flying.

World War II and Growth

• 1942: During World War II, the United States Army arrived in New Caledonia. They needed airbases for their planes.
• General Alexander Patch led a group called the Poppy Force. New Caledonia became a key airbase for the US Army in the Pacific.
• Seabees, who are special US Navy construction workers, built a military airfield. They built it along the Magenta beach. This was on the site of an old racetrack.

Opening to Public and Modernization

• 1956: The airfield opened for civilian flights. This happened two years after Transpac was created. Transpac was the first local airline in New Caledonia. It later became Air Calédonie.
• Air Calédonie started regular flights. They flew between Nouméa, the Isle of Pines, and the Loyalty Islands.
• 1970s: The first airport terminal was built. It could handle 100,000 passengers each year.
• 2001: A brand new terminal was finished and opened. This new building could handle over 300,000 passengers.

Airlines and Destinations

Nouméa Magenta Airport connects people to many places within New Caledonia. The main airline flying from here is Air Calédonie.

Airport Statistics

This section shows how many people use the airport. It helps us understand how busy the airport is.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto de Magenta para niños