List of airports in Tuvalu explained

This is a list of airports in Tuvalu.

Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island country located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls. Its population of 10,507 (2017 Census)^[1] makes it among the least-populated sovereign states in the world.^[2] In terms of physical land size, at just 26km2 Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City at 0.44km2, Monaco at 1.95km2 and Nauru at 21km2.

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Airports

Island served	ICAO	IATA	Airport name	Coordinates
	NGFU	FUN		-8.525°N 179.1964°W
			Nanumea Airfield (abandoned after World War II)	-5.6667°N 183°W
Motulalo, Nukufetau			Nukufetau Airfield (abandoned after World War II)	-8.5°N 208°W

History

Funafuti Airfield was built by United States Navy Seabee construction battalions in 1943 during World War II.^[3] It was later sealed to create Funafuti International Airport.

During World War II, the American forces also built airfields on Nanumea and Motulalo, which is the largest atoll of Nukufetau.^[4] After the war these two airfields were dismantled.

See also

• Transport in Tuvalu

References

• Web site: ICAO Location Indicators by State . . . 2006-01-12.
• Web site: UN Location Codes: Tuvalu . UN/LOCODE 2009-2 . . 2010-02-08. - includes IATA codes
• Great Circle Mapper: Airports in Tuvalu - IATA and ICAO codes

Notes and References

1. Web site: Population of communities in Tuvalu. Thomas Brinkhoff. 2017. 27 September 2020.
2. Web site: Country Comparisons – Population. CIA The World Factbook.
3. Web site: To the Central Pacific and Tarawa, August 1943--Background to GALVANIC (Ch 16, p. 622) . 2010 . 2010-09-03.
4. Book: Melei Telavi . Hugh . Laracy . Tuvalu: A History . 1983 . Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu . 143 . Chapter 18 - War.