Niue International Airport
Niue International Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Entrance to Niue International Airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Location | Niue | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 209 ft / 64 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 19°04′44″S 169°55′33″W / 19.07889°S 169.92583°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  IUE Location of airport in Niue | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Niue International Airport (IATA: IUE, ICAO: NIUE), also known as Hanan International Airport, is an international airport serving the island nation of Niue. It is located near the town of Alofi, and is only used by Air New Zealand, flying to and from Auckland twice a week, departing Auckland on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and departing Niue on Mondays and Fridays.[a][1]
Plans for an airfield on Niue were initially proposed in 1947, but were not advanced.[2][3] In 1964, the Niue Assembly asked the New Zealand government to construct an airport, and a site was surveyed.[4] Originally an emergency airfield was planned, but following the survey the plans were upgraded to a full airfield capable of handling turboprop airliners.[5] Construction would be carried out by the New Zealand Army.[5] Construction began in 1968, with New Zealand Ministry of Works staff overseeing Niuean workers from the Department of Public Works.[6][7] Funding was provided by the New Zealand government.[8] The airport initially had a 5400 foot sealed runway.[7]
The airport received its first flight in December 1970,[9] and its first commercial passengers in July 1971.[10] It was formally opened in November 1971.[11] It was initially served by Polynesian Airlines Hawker Siddeley HS 748s and Fokker F.27 Friendship aircraft from Fiji,[7] but no direct flights from New Zealand.[12] The runway was upgraded in 1981, with direct flights to Auckland using Boeing 737s beginning that year.[13][14] From 1990 to 1992, it served as the base of the now-defunct Niue Airline.
The airport is named after Ralph Hanan, who was formerly a New Zealand Minister of Island Affairs.[15]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | Auckland |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Because New Zealand and Niue are on opposite sides of the International Date Line, the Tuesday morning flight from Auckland arrives in Niue on Monday, and then departs a few hours later, arriving back in Auckland on Tuesday evening. Similarly, the Saturday morning flight from Auckland arrives in Niue on Friday, and then departs a few hours later, arriving back in Auckland on Saturday evening.
References
[edit]- ^ "Niue Airport, Niue Island, New Zealand". Skyscanner Ltd. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ "General News". The Press. 4 November 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "AIRPORT BUILDER LEFT NIUE A LEGACY OF BEES". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 37, no. 4. 1 April 1966. p. 32. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Airstrip May Be Built On Niue". The Press. 24 December 1964. p. 1. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b "Army Would Build Airstrip In Niue". The Press. 8 January 1966. p. 1. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Retirement From Army To Build Airfield". The Press. 7 August 1968. p. 16. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b c "Niue needs every tourist it can get". The Press. 7 July 1973. p. 11. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Niue Airfield Work Ahead Of Schedule". The Press. 18 October 1969. p. 48. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "ISOLATION ENDS". The Press. 2 December 1970. p. 28. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ Sue Wendt (1 August 1971). "Niue enters the air age". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 42, no. 8. p. 19-20. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "RUSSIA HAS MORE SUBS". The Press. 27 November 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Direct Niue flights 'needed urgently'". The Press. 31 May 1977. p. 5. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Direct Auckland-Niue Link At Last". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 52, no. 11. 1 November 1981. p. 5. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "TRADE WINDS New Zealand aid plans proposed". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 52, no. 2. 1 February 1981. p. 60. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Mr J. R. Hanan remembered". The Press. 22 April 1971. p. 3. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Papers Past.
