Misplaced Pages

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95-696: Pago Pago International Airport ( IATA : PPG , ICAO : NSTU , FAA LID : PPG ), 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 Samoa , an unincorporated territory of the United States . 3,099 flights arrived at Pago Pago International Airport in 2014, down from 3,665 in 2013. Incoming flights carried 55,728 passengers in 2014, while flights carrying 57,355 passengers took off from

190-570: A DC-8), South Pacific Island Airways (using Boeing 707s), Samoa Air (using a Boeing 707), Arrow Air (using a DC-8), Air Nauru ( Boeing 737 and Boeing 727 ), and Air Pacific (using a BAC One-Eleven ) were all plying the South Pacific via Pago Pago. One could travel between Pago Pago and Honolulu for an airfare of US$ 99 one-way. Towards the end of its peak commercial passenger aviation period, Pago Pago International Airport also became an ideal refueling stopover for cargo carriers due to

285-630: A Pacific island dream holiday. The New Zealand National Airways Corporation ceased air mail, passenger and cargo services to Norfolk Island in early September 1955. TEAL resumed the regular air service from Auckland in November with four-engined Douglas DC-6 Skymaster aircraft. TEAL's service was initially weekly, then fortnightly. TEAL operated flying-boats and landplanes: The first services were flown by Short S.30 Empire Class flying boats. TEAL operated two of these between 1939 and 1947. They were given Maori spiritual names, Aotearoa (land of

380-630: A few hundred miles from Pago Pago and transported by helicopter to the airport prior to being flown to Honolulu on Lockheed C-141 Starlifter military aircraft. In May 1969, Apollo 13 returned to Earth, landing in the ocean near Tutuila. The astronauts were transported by helicopter to Pago Pago International Airport, where they were greeted by one of the largest crowds in American Samoan history. They were presented with Samoan gifts and entertained with traditional dances and songs before boarding their flight to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Hawaiian Airlines

475-422: A flight engineer, a navigator; the airline's industrial personnel officer and an emergency procedures officer standing behind them. As Akaroa' s speed dropped below 140 knots the aeroplane landed very heavily, collapsing the landing gear; Akaroa shed wings, engines, tailplane and tail as it skidded off the runway and across the grass towards the control tower. Somehow, the two standing officers stayed standing,

570-515: A large hangar and control tower were located at the edge of today's runway 08/26 and at what is today the Tafuna Industrial Park area. In conjunction with the airstrip at Tafuna, an emergency Bomber airstrip was also constructed in the village of Leone , known then as Leone Airfield in early 1943. It was situated on what is today Leone High School and Midkiff Elementary School on the western edge of Tutuila Island. Leone Airfield

665-567: A new airport is built, replacing the old one, leaving the city's new "major" airport (or the only remaining airport) code to no longer correspond with the city's name. The original airport in Nashville, Tennessee, was built in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration and called Berry Field with the designation, BNA. A new facility known as Nashville International Airport was built in 1987 but still uses BNA. This

760-509: A new local economy. South Pacific jet services between Sydney (Australia), Auckland (New Zealand), Honolulu (Hawaii) and Papeete (Tahiti) were first offered by Pan American World Airways in 1964 using Boeing 707 aircraft. Air New Zealand , which was already flying the Auckland / Nadi / Pago Pago / Papeete route using Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft shifted to Douglas DC-8 aircraft in November 1965. In 1970 American Airlines began flying

855-656: A new trans-Tasman crossing record of 5 hours 37 minutes. With one exception, the Solents were withdrawn from service with the introduction of the Douglas DC-6 landplanes in 1954. The exception, ZK-AMO Aranui , continued flying the Coral Route from its base at Suva, Fiji, until 1960. TEAL introduced the landplane based Hibiscus Service to Nadi, Fiji. In 1951, TEAL purchased an extra Solent flying boat from BOAC to ease pressure on growing passenger numbers and help with

950-531: A population that is 3.5 times greater than American Samoa plus greater emphasis that was put on tourism growth, international airline traffic particularly from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific island countries began to shift from Pago Pago to Faleolo airport. Airlines with flights from the US to Australia and New Zealand also started utilizing aircraft that did not require a refueling stopover in Pago Pago. By

1045-463: A pre-dawn take-off to the Akaiami lagoon at Aitutaki where they went ashore for breakfast and an optional swim until mid-morning takeoff for Papeete, timed to ensure that arrival was after the end of the siesta period at 2:00   pm. After launching ashore and completing Customs, passengers had to wait a further hour while their luggage was sprayed against horticultural pests, a time usually spent by

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1140-403: A profit, prior to tax and dividends, of NZ£ 31,479. By 1944, the trans-Tasman frequency had increased to three weekly return flights. From 1940–1950, TEAL operated a single Tasman service, between Auckland and Sydney, with Short flying boats. From 1950 to 1954, Wellington was also linked by flying boat to Sydney. The intended Wellington–Sydney flying boat service commenced on 3 October 1950 with

1235-689: A replacement Electra, VH-ECC, after it changed its name to Air New Zealand on 1 April 1965. It took the registration, ZK-CLX. At the time of the accident, ZK-TEC had the Air New Zealand logotype painted on its fuselage in anticipation of the name change. In April 1961 the Australian government decided to concentrate its subsidises with Qantas that commenced operating its own trans Tasman services in October 1961, and sold its shareholding in TEAL to

1330-488: A secondary runway and taxiway. Runway 08/26 is widely used today by air taxi operators flying to Apia (Fagali'i and Faleolo), Ofu or Tau. The Departure and Arrival terminal also went through a major expansion in the mid-1970s where buildings and space was doubled in size to handle more passengers. To facilitate aircraft with large payload requirements and long distance flights, runway 05/23 was expanded in early 2001 from an original runway length of 9,000 feet (2,743 m) to

1425-410: A series of fatal accidents occurred in the US with the new aircraft. It was discovered that propeller vibration caused a weakening of the wing to engine mountings. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a reduced speed operation for the type until remedial repair works were completed in 1961. A fourth air frame was purchased from Qantas in 1965 to replace the lost air frame of ZK-TEC (see below), it

1520-525: A solution. The first four months of operation saw a weekly return service between Auckland and Sydney. This was expanded to thrice fortnightly with connections to San Francisco using Pan Am flights from Auckland (Pan Am was not flying into Australia). The connection to San Francisco ended in December 1941 when Japan entered the war. In the first year, the annual report revealed that 130 trans-Tasman flights had been completed carrying 1,461 passengers for

1615-614: A subsidised trial basis, and produce a six jet engine powered flying boat, the Saunders-Roe Duchess , to add jet speed to an already antiquated mode of air transport, were also considered. A New Zealand Government promise, that the Solent would be the last water based aircraft the airline would operate, ended any thought of future flying boat development in New Zealand. The Solents were delivered during 1949 with one setting

1710-457: A training flight at Whenuapai . The airline had done the following manoeuvre many times before: the Electra, flying at precisely 140 knots , could be flown over the runway threshold, throttled back to idle to drop almost vertically and land on the runway. As this would never be done on a passenger flight; the reason for the procedure remains a mystery. On board were a captain, a check captain,

1805-509: Is GSN and its IATA code is SPN, and some coincide with IATA codes of non-U.S. airports. Canada's unusual codes—which bear little to no similarity with any conventional abbreviation to the city's name—such as YUL in Montréal , and YYZ in Toronto , originated from the two-letter codes used to identify weather reporting stations in the 1930s. The letters preceding the two-letter code follow

1900-627: Is administered by the IATA's headquarters in Montreal , Canada. The codes are published semi-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. IATA provides codes for airport handling entities, and for certain railway stations. Alphabetical lists of airports sorted by IATA code are available. A list of railway station codes , shared in agreements between airlines and rail lines such as Amtrak , SNCF , and Deutsche Bahn ,

1995-617: Is available. However, many railway administrations have their own list of codes for their stations, such as the list of Amtrak station codes . Airport codes arose out of the convenience that the practice brought pilots for location identification in the 1930s. Initially, pilots in the United States used the two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS) for identifying cities. This system became unmanageable for cities and towns without an NWS identifier, and

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2090-465: Is controlled from Faleolo International Airport in Samoa . On January 30, 1974 at about 11:41 pm Samoa local time, a Boeing 707 operating as Pan Am Flight 806 from Auckland, New Zealand, to Los Angeles, California with en route stops in Pago Pago and Honolulu, clipped trees at an elevation of 113 feet (34 m) and about 3,865 feet (1,178 m) short of the runway 05 threshold. The first impact with

2185-523: Is different from the name in English, yet the airport code represents only the English name. Examples include: Due to scarcity of codes, some airports are given codes with letters not found in their names: The use of 'X' as a filler letter is a practice to create three-letter identifiers when more straightforward options were unavailable: Some airports in the United States retained their NWS ( National Weather Service ) codes and simply appended an X at

2280-513: Is in conjunction to rules aimed to avoid confusion that seem to apply in the United States, which state that "the first and second letters or second and third letters of an identifier may not be duplicated with less than 200 nautical miles separation." Thus, Washington, D.C. area's three airports all have radically different codes: IAD for Washington–Dulles , DCA for Washington–Reagan (District of Columbia Airport), and BWI for Baltimore (Baltimore–Washington International, formerly BAL). Since HOU

2375-543: Is not followed outside the United States: In addition, since three letter codes starting with Q are widely used in radio communication, cities whose name begins with "Q" also had to find alternate codes, as in the case of: IATA codes should not be confused with the FAA identifiers of U.S. airports. Most FAA identifiers agree with the corresponding IATA codes, but some do not, such as Saipan , whose FAA identifier

2470-424: Is operational as a water bomber with Buffalo Airways , Canada Douglas DC-8 Series 52 , TEAL / Air New Zealand ZK-NZC, is derelict and stored at Manaus Airport , Brazil. On board dining was a notable feature of the trans-Tasman and later, the Coral Route. The food was cooked from scratch on board. Morning and afternoon teas were prepared on board as well as hot meals. A dumbwaiter was used to provide access to

2565-533: Is provided by Asia Pacific Airlines . Pago Pago International Airport is a frequent stopover for United States military aircraft flying in the South Pacific and is the only airport in the area with TACAN capabilities. Daily inter-island flights between the Samoas are offered by Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways . The American Samoan government is looking into legal means to overcome current US cabotage rules that forbid foreign carriers from entering and serving

2660-735: Is the former name of Air New Zealand . TEAL was formed by the Intergovernmental Agreement for Tasman Sea Air Services (also known as the Tasman Sea Agreement), which is a treaty signed by the governments of the United Kingdom , Australia , and New Zealand in London on 10 April 1940. TEAL was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940. The company's purpose

2755-607: Is the only major airline serving Pago Pago International Airport. In 2004, with assistance from the American Samoan government to promote and bring additional air carriers to Pago Pago, Aloha Airlines opened a Honolulu / Pago Pago / Rarotonga route. However, the airline lasted 11 months and eventually pulled out of Pago Pago and other South Pacific routes it served due to financial issues. The airport covers 700 acres (283 ha) of land. In 2014, there were 2,628 flights between Pago Pago and Samoa , and 162 flights between Honolulu and Pago Pago. A weekly cargo flight from Honolulu, Hawaii

2850-416: Is used for William P. Hobby Airport , the new Houston–Intercontinental became IAH. The code BKK was originally assigned to Bangkok–Don Mueang and was later transferred to Suvarnabhumi Airport , while the former adopted DMK. The code ISK was originally assigned to Gandhinagar Airport (Nashik's old airport) and later on transferred to Ozar Airport (Nashik's current airport). Shanghai–Hongqiao retained

2945-576: The 1956 Olympic Games and Brisbane. It also ended the leasing of a Trans Australian Airlines DC-4 operating out of Christchurch on behalf of the airline. Wellington's rebuilt Rongotai Airport handled its first DC-6 service just after it re-opened in 1959, ending trans-Tasman flying boat operations from nearby Evans Bay. Originally to be replaced by the Lockheed L-188 Electra in 1960, the DC-6 remained in service due to engineering issues for

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3040-484: The Avro Tudor and Handley Page Hermes . The Sandringhams were given generic names, ZK-AMB Serial ML761 Tasman , -AMD Serial NJ255 Australia , -AME Serial NJ179 New Zealand , and -AMH JM715 Auckland . However they were unsuited for the harsher trans Tasman crossings. They were grounded for six months in 1948 due to engine cooling issues and disposed of at the end of 1949 when a more suitable custom built version of

3135-571: The Canadian transcontinental railroads were built, each station was assigned its own two-letter Morse code : When the Canadian government established airports, it used the existing railway codes for them as well. If the airport had a weather station, authorities added a "Y" to the front of the code, meaning "Yes" to indicate it had a weather station or some other letter to indicate it did not. When international codes were created in cooperation with

3230-592: The Comet 4 airliner but Australian shareholders insisted on the Lockheed L188 Electra, citing that Qantas, Trans Australian Airlines, Ansett ANA and Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific had ordered the type. This would lower operating costs as all the airlines would be able to share a common parts pool with the Electra. The original three were named Aotearoa IV (ZK-TEA), Atarau (ZK-TEB), and Akaroa (ZK-TEC). In late September 1959, just prior to delivery

3325-543: The Museum of Transport & Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland . Short S.25 Sandringham Mk IV Tasman Class flying-boat , TEAL ZK-AMH, RMA Auckland , formerly RAF serial JM715, which operated with TEAL from 1947 to 1950, is preserved and on display at Solent Sky aviation museum, Southampton , Hampshire, as Ansett Flying Boat Services VH-BRC Beachcomber , retired in 1981. Lockheed L-188C Electra , TEAL ZK-TEB Atarau ,

3420-576: The New Zealand Government (20%), Union Airways (19%), BOAC (38%) and Qantas (23%). After World War II shareholding passed to equal ownership by New Zealand and Australian Government . Four Short Sandringham aircraft and Short Solent aircraft were acquired, as well as an ex- Royal New Zealand Air Force Consolidated PBY Catalina for survey flights. The inaugural Tasman service between Auckland 's Mechanics Bay airport and Sydney 's Rose Bay Water Airport on 30 April 1940

3515-585: The WVUV (AM) radio tower to Midkiff Elementary School. Pago Pago International Airport and the original Tafuna Airfield military facilities were first used for commercial trans pacific air service in January 1956 when Pan American Airways added Pago Pago to its network, initially serving it via Fiji. Prior to this, there was no air service to American Samoa whatsoever. A trip required a nine-hour boat ride from Western Samoa. Pan American utilized Douglas DC-4s . It

3610-612: The Air Department during World War II . In consequence of the Air Department's acquisition of the two flying-boat support launches, TEAL commissioned Colin Wild of Stanley Point, Auckland, to build a 40' express launch named Tasmanair , primarily for the transportation of 25 staff and 2 crew between Mechanics' Bay and Hobsonville. It was launched on 24 July 1941. In TEAL service between 1941 and 1960, it had been based at Auckland , Laucala Bay, Fiji and Satapuala , Samoa. Following

3705-603: The Auckland–Sydney service; TEAL now operating its own Christchurch–Melbourne and Auckland–Melbourne services. A service between Auckland and Brisbane followed in 1959. A service between Christchurch and Brisbane followed in 1959. The New Zealand National Airways Corporation had initiated Pacific Island flights flying Douglas DC-3 aircraft, from Auckland to Nadi ( Fiji ), Faleolo ( Samoa ), Aitutaki , and Rarotonga (Cook Islands). These routes were later taken over by TEAL, which wanted to fly to Tahiti , but there

3800-535: The Electra, until 1961. They were handed over to the Royal New Zealand Air Force to be used as troop transports, remaining in service until 1970. The last new type to be operated by TEAL was the Lockheed L.188 Electra . Five of this type were operated between 1959 and 1972 by which time TEAL had changed its name to Air New Zealand. The airline wanted to introduce jet aircraft in the form of

3895-465: The French cancelled TEAL's licence to Tahiti and the Coral Route service was terminated at Pago Pago. Air New Zealand was permitted to return to Tahiti in 1967. In 1954, TEAL replaced its Mechanics Bay , Auckland to Suva , Fiji, flying boat service, with Douglas DC-6 landplanes from Whenuapai to Nadi . The Hibiscus Service provided first and tourist-class travel, especially appealing to folk pursuing

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3990-640: The Honolulu / Pago Pago / Sydney route using Boeing 707 aircraft. UTA French Airlines began Douglas DC-10 service in 1975 between Noumea , New Caledonia and Papeete, Tahiti via Pago Pago. Continental Airlines also began DC-10 service from Honolulu to Sydney and Auckland via Pago Pago in 1979. Pago Pago International Airport went through its peak in aviation between 1975 and 1985. During this period Pan American (using Boeing 747s ), Air New Zealand (using DC-8s), UTA French Airlines (using DC-10s), Continental Airlines (using DC-10s), Hawaiian Airlines (using

4085-514: The House Subcommittee on Appropriations, Interior and Insular Affairs; Malietoa Tanumafili II ; and Prince Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV , Prime Minister of Tonga . Runway designation 09/27 which was the primary runway for commercial air service in the 1950s and early 1960s was deactivated after the newer, longer runway 05/23 was open for aircraft flights. Pago Pago International Airport was opened to jet service in 1964 to stimulate tourism and

4180-521: The MV Empire Star in June 1939 and was based at Mechanics' Bay. It was taken over by the Air Department during World War II . Designed by Hubert Scott-Paine for general purpose, particularly the transport of maintenance crew, gear and equipment, and light towing, the auxiliary launch arrived at Auckland on the MV Empire Star in June 1939 and was based at Mechanics' Bay. It was taken over by

4275-738: The New Zealand Government's purchase of TEAL's Australian shareholdings in 1961, airline management promptly announced the purchase of pure jet powered aircraft for 1965. This was to coincide with the completion of a new International airport for Auckland and runway lengthening at Christchurch airport. Aircraft of interest included the Boeing 707–100 short bodied version operated by Qantas, Convair 880 , Douglas DC-8, and after some political lobbying by pro-British government interests, Vickers VC-10 . An offer by BOAC to lease surplus De Havilland Comet 4s to begin interim jet services immediately

4370-467: The New Zealand Government, giving it 100% ownership. On 1 April 1965 Tasman Empire Airways Limited was renamed Air New Zealand Limited , with TEAL rebranded Air New Zealand, at the same time as the Douglas DC-8 entered service. TEAL's airline designator "TE" continued on with Air New Zealand until 1989. Thereafter, its international flights adopted the airline designator "NZ" formerly used by

4465-474: The Pago Pago – Honolulu or Pago Pago – Los Angeles routes. There are regular buses that run between the airport and downtown. A new US$ 12 million Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Fire Crash station was completed in 2005. A US$ 18 million Hot Fire/Crash Training facility was constructed and completed in 2008 and was to be used to train ARFF personnel, and other Fire Crash personnel from various airports in

4560-709: The Short Solent became available. TEAL flew two Boeing-built Consolidated PB2B-1 Catalinas, on loan from the RNZAF , for training and survey work from 1947 to 1949. They were registered as ZK-AMI and ZK-AMP Maroro (Flying Fish – TEAL's emblem) on the civil aviation list. ZK-AMI was never named. The Short S.25 Sandringham IV was replaced by the Short S.45 Solent IV, of which TEAL acquired four—ZK-AML Aotearoa II , -AMM Ararangi , -AMN Awatere and -AMO Aranui . TEAL management were hoping to move to land based operations after

4655-627: The South Pacific. In 2010, Pago Pago International Airport underwent a US$ 1 million terminal remodeling and modernization with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . The departure terminal, immigration, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security and lounge areas were completely renovated and expanded to increase passenger capacity and flow. A new control tower has been planned since 2006, but has been delayed due to arguments over funding and lack of traffic. Currently international traffic to Pago Pago

4750-526: The U.S. For example, several airports in Alaska have scheduled commercial service, such as Stebbins and Nanwalek , which use FAA codes instead of ICAO codes. Thus, neither system completely includes all airports with scheduled service. Some airports are identified in colloquial speech by their IATA code. Examples include LAX and JFK . Tasman Empire Airways Limited Tasman Empire Airways Limited (1940–1965), better known by its acronym TEAL ,

4845-481: The United States, because "Y" was seldom used in the United States, Canada simply used the weather station codes for its airports, changing the "Y" to a "Z" if it conflicted with an airport code already in use. The result is that most major Canadian airport codes start with "Y" followed by two letters in the city's name (for example, YOW for O tta w a , YWG for W innipe g , YYC for C algar y , or YVR for V ancouve r ), whereas other Canadian airports append

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4940-440: The airport itself instead of the city it serves, while another code is reserved which refers to the city itself which can be used to search for flights to any of its airports. For instance: Or using a code for the city in one of the major airports and then assigning another code to another airport: When different cities with the same name each have an airport, they need to be assigned different codes. Examples include: Sometimes,

5035-418: The airport's former name, such as Orlando International Airport 's MCO (for Mc C o y Air Force Base), or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport , which is coded ORD for its original name: Or char d Field. In rare cases, the code comes from the airport's unofficial name, such as Kahului Airport 's OGG (for local aviation pioneer Jimmy H ogg ). In large metropolitan areas, airport codes are often named after

5130-521: The airport. 1,800,000 pounds (820,000 kg) of cargo and 1,300,000 pounds (590,000 kg) of mail were brought in by commercial carriers. The site and location of the current airport was originally known as Tafuna Airfield . It was part of U.S. Naval Station Tutuila - Samoa Defense Group Area and was partially constructed before war broke out in the Pacific on December 7, 1941. Two airstrips were completed and opened on March 17, 1942. The airfield

5225-502: The code SHA, while the newer Shanghai–Pudong adopted PVG. The opposite was true for Berlin : the airport Berlin–Tegel used the code TXL, while its smaller counterpart Berlin–Schönefeld used SXF; the Berlin Brandenburg Airport has the airport code BER, which is also part of its branding. The airports of Hamburg (HAM) and Hannover (HAJ) are less than 100 nautical miles (190 km) apart and therefore share

5320-507: The current 10,000 feet (3,048 m). On October 13 and 19, 2009, the world's largest and heaviest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 , landed at Pago Pago International Airport to deliver emergency power generation equipment during the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami . Pago Pago International Airport had historic significance with the U.S. Apollo Program . The astronaut crews of Apollo 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 , and 17 were retrieved

5415-403: The departure of TEAL Short Solent IV, RMA Ararangi , from Wellington. It carried between 40,000 and 50,000 letters, mostly first-day covers, weighing 660 lbs and 86 lbs of second-class mail. Wellington resumed international service, at first only to Sydney, in 1960 On 20 December 1950, 39–41 passengers on a British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Douglas DC-6 airliner chartered by TEAL, left

5510-724: The early part of the Pacific War. VMF-111 was eventually transitioned and based at Faleolo Airfield in Western (British) Samoa after Faleolo airfield was completed in July 1942 to protect Upolu and Savai'i islands. The original runway alignments were 09/27 (6,080 feet (1,853 m) x 500 feet (152 m)) and 14/32 (3,000 feet (914 m) x 200 feet (61 m)) and were constructed of compact coral with capability to handle 65 fighter aircraft and 12 medium to heavy bombers. The runways were lighted. The main terminal airfield buildings,

5605-886: The end. Examples include: A lot of minor airfields without scheduled passenger traffic have ICAO codes but not IATA codes, since the four letter codes allow more number of codes, and IATA codes are mainly used for passenger services such as tickets, and ICAO codes by pilots. In the US, such airfields use FAA codes instead of ICAO. There are airports with scheduled service for which there are ICAO codes but not IATA codes, such as Nkhotakota Airport/Tangole Airport in Malawi or Chōfu Airport in Tokyo, Japan. There are also several minor airports in Russia (e.g., Omsukchan Airport ) which lack IATA codes and instead use internal Russian codes for booking. Flights to these airports cannot be booked through

5700-488: The fire extinguishers were turned on and everyone was evacuated through the cockpit windows, with one man burning his hand on the escape rope. TEAL salvaged what they could from the wreck and the remains were quickly pushed into a gully behind the NAC hangars before the public saw them. The crash took place in the early hours of the morning. The training procedure was quickly deleted from TEAL's manuals. TEAL purchased from Qantas

5795-557: The first three letters of the city in which it is located, for instance: The code may also be a combination of the letters in its name, such as: Sometimes the airport code reflects pronunciation, rather than spelling, namely: For many reasons, some airport codes do not fit the normal scheme described above. Some airports, for example, cross several municipalities or regions, and therefore, use codes derived from some of their letters, resulting in: Other airports—particularly those serving cities with multiple airports—have codes derived from

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5890-664: The flying boats service in May 1954. It meant the transfer of TEAL's Auckland International Airport operations from Mechanics Bay to the shared Whenuapai air force and civilian terminal, where it was to remain until 1965. In September 1956, Douglas ordered the re-skinning of all DC-6 wings. Work was completed on the fleet at Cathay Pacific 's Hong Kong engineering facilities to allow a 2000 lb increase in payload. The landplane finally allowed TEAL to expand operations to Nadi, Fiji and from there directly to Tahiti. It also opened up landplane operations to Melbourne, helping move passengers during

5985-478: The following format: Most large airports in Canada have codes that begin with the letter "Y", although not all "Y" codes are Canadian (for example, YUM for Yuma, Arizona , and YNT for Yantai , China), and not all Canadian airports start with the letter "Y" (for example, ZBF for Bathurst, New Brunswick ). Many Canadian airports have a code that starts with W, X or Z, but none of these are major airports. When

6080-597: The form of " YYZ ", a song by the rock band Rush , which utilizes the Morse code signal as a musical motif. Some airports have started using their IATA codes as brand names , such as Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Numerous New Zealand airports use codes that contain the letter Z, to distinguish them from similar airport names in other countries. Examples include HLZ for Hamilton , ZQN for Queenstown , and WSZ for Westport . Predominantly, airport codes are named after

6175-412: The ground was about 236 feet (72 m) further along the crash path. The aircraft continued through the jungle vegetation, struck a 3-foot (0.91 m)-high lava rock wall, and stopped about 3,090 feet (940 m) from the runway threshold. There were 97 fatalities out of 101 occupants on the aircraft. IATA airport code The assignment of these codes is governed by IATA Resolution 763, and it

6270-573: The interior design, planning and detail of their new airliners and flying boats. In 1946, TEAL acquired four Short S.25 Sandringham IV 'Tasman Class' flying boats. They were a fully streamlined conversion passenger transport variation of the Short Sunderland. Consideration was given to landplane operations but the government delayed the decision to move to land as the UK government offered generous terms on purchasing new types in development such as

6365-487: The international air booking systems or have international luggage transferred there, and thus, they are booked instead through the airline or a domestic booking system. Several heliports in Greenland have 3-letter codes used internally which might be IATA codes for airports in faraway countries. There are several airports with scheduled service that have not been assigned ICAO codes that do have IATA codes, especially in

6460-680: The islands. It became the only air route into Tahiti, with Americans and others from Northern Hemisphere flying by landplanes into Nadi in Fiji, making the short trip across to Suva to join the flying boat at Laucala Bay, for its fortnightly flight along the Coral Route, leaving on a Thursday morning for Samoa, alighting on the Satapuala lagoon about 2:00   pm. Passengers were driven by cab through Samoan coastal villages to Apia, where they enjoyed respite and dinner at Aggie Grey's hotel until 2:00   am when they were driven back out to Satapuala for

6555-517: The late 1980s and due to heavy competition and economics, only one passenger air carrier (Hawaiian Airlines) remained to serve the Pago Pago trans pacific route. Runway 09/27 was the primary commercial runway for aircraft in the 1950s and early 1960s. The runway was deactivated after runway 05/23 was constructed and activated in 1964. In the mid-1970s, runway 09/27 was rehabilitated, repaved and reactivated as runway 08/26 with 3,800 feet (1,158 m) (length) by 100 feet (30 m) (width) to function as

6650-621: The long white cloud) for ZK-AMA, Serial S886, and Awarua (two rivers) for ZK-AMC, Serial S994. A third S.30 ordered by TEAL, Serial S885, was diverted to war duties in the North Atlantic and later destroyed. The modern flying boat interior had been designed by New-Zealand-born British architect Brian O'Rorke , following the success of his interior design for the Orient Steam Navigation Company 's RMS Orion in 1935. Imperial Airways had engaged O'Rorke in

6745-619: The low cost of fuel and landing fees at the time. Cargo carriers such as Kalitta Air , Evergreen International Airlines , and Polar Air Cargo would provide at least daily Boeing 747 cargo flights to Pago Pago from the US and from Asia Pacific between 1990 and 2006. The airport was a vital link to the Samoan Islands until the runway at Faleolo International Airport in Independent Samoa was improved and lengthened to handle larger than Boeing 737 type aircraft in 1984. With

6840-682: The majority across the road from the Customshouse at Quinn's Bar. In all, a 30-hour leisurely introduction to life in the South Seas which made the Coral Route a legendary travel experience. On 15 September 1960, the final Coral Route flight by the Solent Aranui returned to Auckland. It was one of the world's last long-range scheduled international flying boat services. Landplane flights were extended from Nadi , Fiji, to Pago Pago , American Samoa, and Papeete, Tahiti . In late 1964,

6935-612: The name of the airport itself, for instance: This is also true with some cities with a single airport (even if there is more than one airport in the metropolitan area of said city), such as BDL for Hartford, Connecticut 's B ra dl ey International Airport or Baltimore's BWI, for B altimore/ W ashington I nternational Airport ; however, the latter also serves Washington, D.C. , alongside Dulles International Airport (IAD, for I nternational A irport D ulles) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA, for D istrict of C olumbia A irport). The code also sometimes comes from

7030-557: The new Wellington based Tasman Service operating from Evans Bay . ZK-AMQ Aparima carried on in TEAL service until 1957, and on the Coral Route as the backup to ZK-AMO Aranui based at Suva, Fiji. The Douglas DC-6 was flown by TEAL between 1954 and 1961. Three were transferred to TEAL after the break-up of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA). Re-registered ZK-BGA Aotearoa III , -BGB Arawhata , and -BGC Arahia . They were original "short bodied" types fitted out with sleeper beds and long range tanks. The aircraft started replacing

7125-416: The one they are located in: Other airport codes are of obscure origin, and each has its own peculiarities: In Asia, codes that do not correspond with their city's names include Niigata 's KIJ , Nanchang 's KHN and Pyongyang 's FNJ . EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg , which serves three countries, has three airport codes: BSL, MLH, EAP. Some cities have a name in their respective language which

7220-455: The plane landed on the sea and a small motor boat operated by Fred Fairman would carry the passengers to shore. They would alight and go through customs in a small shed. The Faleolo airport was still a grass strip. A TEAL staff competition gave the route the name the Coral Route. The winning entry came from Eric Mullane, head steward, who was inspired by the beauty of islands (coral) and of the song-filled (choral) welcome that greeted visitors to

7315-416: The predecessor to what is now Air New Zealand , started flying to Pago Pago in 1961. South Pacific Air Lines started service in 1962 from Honolulu, sometimes also to Papeete, until December 1963 when it turned the service over to Pan Am. Pago Pago International Airport went through major re-construction in 1963 under the U.S. President Kennedy administration. The WW II military-era runway designated 14/32

7410-407: The recently dedicated Christchurch Airport on a direct flight to Melbourne, and what would become a regular TEAL air service relieving South Island from international air-service isolation. The DC-6, RMA Resolution , departed for Melbourne at 10:10 am, arriving 6 hours and 35 minutes later. From 1954, newly acquired Douglas DC-6 aircraft were introduced to a new Christchurch–Sydney service and

7505-506: The same first and middle letters, indicating that this rule might be followed only in Germany. Many cities retain historical names in their airport codes, even after having undergone an official name/spelling/transliteration change: Some airport codes are based on previous names associated with a present airport, often with a military heritage. These include: Some airports are named for an administrative division or nearby city, rather than

7600-500: The station code of Malton, Mississauga , where it is located). YUL is used for Montréal–Trudeau (UL was the ID code for the beacon in the city of Kirkland , now the location of Montréal–Trudeau). While these codes make it difficult for the public to associate them with a particular Canadian city, some codes have become popular in usage despite their cryptic nature, particularly at the largest airports. Toronto's code has entered pop culture in

7695-601: The two decks of the flying boats. The military look of the earliest uniforms reflected the era—the aftermath of war. The male stewards' uniforms were reassuring and gave the impression that flight crew could be expected to handle any situation. In 1946, women were appointed to the TEAL flying boat crew. Many had trained as nurses which was thought to be an ideal background for coping with any situation on board. In 1961, hostesses appeared in uniforms designed by Christian Dior and made locally by El Jay . On 27 March 1965, TEAL's Lockheed Electra L-188 ZK-TEC Akaroa , crashed during

7790-515: The two-letter code of the radio beacons that were the closest to the actual airport, such as YQX in Gander or YXS in Prince George . Four of the ten provincial capital airports in Canada have ended up with codes beginning with YY, including: Canada's largest airport is YYZ for Toronto Pearson (as YTZ was already allocated to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , the airport was given

7885-515: The unsuccessful operation of the Sandringham. An original plan was to operate Douglas DC-4 aircraft from Auckland's Whenuapai joint service airport alongside other overseas international operators. However, a Buy British policy and support for rebuilding the British aircraft industry forced the airline to continue operating flying boats. Proposals to fly the mammoth Saunders-Roe Princess on

7980-529: The use of two letters allowed only a few hundred combinations; a three-letter system of airport codes was implemented. This system allowed for 17,576 permutations, assuming all letters can be used in conjunction with each other. Since the U.S. Navy reserved "N" codes, and to prevent confusion with Federal Communications Commission broadcast call signs , which begin with "W" or "K", the airports of certain U.S. cities whose name begins with one of these letters had to adopt "irregular" airport codes: This practice

8075-551: The withdrawal of flying-boats from the Coral Route in 1960, Samoa based Tasmanair was purchased by the New Zealand Government, transported to Lyttelton, New Zealand , where it was slightly modified, and shipped on to the Chatham Islands to support the RNZAF Sunderland flying-boat service at Te Whanga Lagoon . Short S.45 Solent Mk IV flying-boat , TEAL ZK-AMO, RMA Aranui , is restored and on display at

8170-410: Was 6,000 feet (1,829 m) x 500 feet (152 m) and was completed on September 30, 1943. It had a short life during the war. The airfield was abandoned in early 1945 due to turbulent air currents and lack of use. Only two aircraft were recorded to have landed and taken off from the airfield. A visual outline of Leone Airfield can be seen from the air today with a straight clearance road starting from

8265-400: Was already painted minus titles in anticipation of this. The aircraft never flying in actual TEAL service. After the name change, however, TEAL titles appeared on the tail fin of the new airliners for two years. TEAL operated powerboats in support of flying-boats: Designed by Hubert Scott-Paine for the transport of passengers using marine aircraft, the control tender arrived at Auckland on

8360-485: Was also used for inter island air service between Faleolo , Western Samoa and Pago Pago in 1959 by newly formed, Apia-based Polynesian Airlines . Also in July 1959, Samoan Airlines (founded by Larry Coleman, brother of Peter Tali Coleman , then Governor of American Samoa) started service to Apia with a DC-3. The service lasted until October 1960, before Hawaiian Airlines repossessed the aircraft it leased Samoan for unpaid rent. Tasman Empire Airways Limited , or TEAL,

8455-496: Was converted to a taxiway and ramp area, and a new runway was constructed and designated 05/23 with a paved length of 9,000 feet (2,743 m) and width of 150 feet (46 m). The terminal buildings at the airport were dedicated on November 23, 1965. Dignitaries attending included Senator Henry M. Jackson , Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs; Representative Michael J. Kirwan , Chairman of

8550-515: Was first utilized on March 19, 1942, by U.S. Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-111 which arrived by ship from San Diego , California . VMF-111 aircraft were off loaded in Pago Pago harbor and trucked to Tafuna airfield. The first planes from MAG-13 also arrived at Tafuna Airfield on April 2, 1942 at which point they assumed responsibility for the air defense of American Samoa. Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron VMO-151 arrived in early May 1942 at Tafuna Airfield where all three squadrons were based during

8645-674: Was flown by Aotearoa , one of its two Short S.30 flying boats . There was a connection at Sydney with the Qantas / BOAC Empire Air Route or Empire Air Mail Scheme to England which meant that there was, for the first time, a regular through-air service between New Zealand and England. That lasted less than six weeks, for it was no longer possible to fly through the Mediterranean when Italy entered World War II in June 1940. The Horseshoe route , between Sydney and Durban , South Africa (via Singapore , Calcutta , and Cairo ) provided

8740-511: Was no airstrip at Papeete , so a flying boat was necessary. After completion of a survey flight by a TEAL-operated ex-RNZAF Catalina ZK-AMP in 1951, the Coral Route flight from Auckland to Papeete, Tahiti, via Laucala Bay at Suva , Fiji, Satapuala at Apia , Samoa, and Akaiamai at Aitutaki in the Cook Islands , was inaugurated by TEAL on 27 December 1951, using the Short Solent flying boats long used between Auckland and Sydney. In Samoa,

8835-486: Was originally to transport mail, passengers, and cargo across the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, during World War II . The treaty was originally intended to end within three months after hostilities with Germany ended, but it was extended in 1949 and ultimately ended on 31 March 1954, with control and ownership passing into normal commercial arrangements. Shares in the company were originally held by

8930-566: Was registered out of sequence as ZK-CLX but carried over the Akaroa name from the previous aircraft. By this time TEAL had changed its name to Air New Zealand. The fifth aircraft operated was leased from Qantas in 1970 for a year to operate a joint seat share service to Australia, Qantas titles appeared along the rear of the fuselage. This aircraft used the vacant TEAL allotted ZK-TED registration but remained unnamed. The remaining Electras were sold in 1972 to United States interests. On completion of

9025-433: Was turned down as uneconomical. After intense scrutiny of all types on offer, TEAL management approached the New Zealand Government for funds to purchase an initial three Douglas DC-8 Series 52 longer ranged jet airliners. The request was approved and an order placed in 1962 for delivery in early 1965. The aircraft were duly completed when TEAL announced a change of airline name on 1 April 1965 to Air New Zealand. The first DC-8

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