Fua'amotu airport's busiest day, as flights resume [1]
Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 15:18. Updated on Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 15:21.
Tonga's Fua'amotu International Airport was expected to process a record number of passengers today as International and domestic flights have resumed, following disruption to flights caused by rising ash from a continuing volcanic eruption in Hunga, Ha’apai to the north west of Nuku'alofa.
Six flights were expected through the airport today, three by Air New Zealand, two by Virgin Australia and one from Fiji.
A Tonga Airports Ltd. spokesperson said they expected around 1,000 passengers to pass through the airport today - a record number for one day.
Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia also had flights landing at Fua’amotu International Airport yesterday, Wednesday, 14 January, after two-days of cancelled flights into and out of Tonga.
The Air New Zealand agent in Nuku’alofa said this morning its first flight from Auckland was able to land last night . It was putting on two extra flights today, one in the morning and one in the evening, to cater for stranded passengers, as well as its scheduled afternoon flight.
Virgin Australia’s flight from Sydney arrived safely at Fua’amotu airport yesterday afternoon with another arriving early this morning. The airline’s other flight from Auckland is expected to arrive later today.
At the same time, Real Tonga has this morning confirmed the resumption of all domestic flights to Vava’u, Ha’apai and ‘Eua.
The domestic carrier cancelled all of its flights yesterday, except to ‘Eua, due to the volcanic eruption.