New Caledonia's Nouméa La Tontouta and Nouméa Magenta airports closed and flights into the country were cancelled following 24 hours of rioting in the city and surrounding townships.
Both airports issued closure notices covering May 14 and local airlines Aircalin (SB, Nouméa La Tontouta) and Air Calédonie (TY, Nouméa Magenta) have cancelled flights in and out of the capital's two airports. This follows overnight riots on the 13th that saw vehicles and buildings set alight and an island-wide curfew imposed. The rioting was in response to proposed constitutional reforms.
La Tontouta is served by Aircalin, the currently inactive Air Vanuatu, Fiji Airways, Qantas, and Air New Zealand. Aircalin's post-midnight departure to Singapore Changi (SB740) on May 14 did depart, but services to Sydney, Auckland, and Nadi later in the day were cancelled. Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Fiji Airways did not have flights scheduled to La Tontouta on the day. Aircalin has also cancelled flights on May 15 and 16.
At domestic airport Noumea Magenta, Air Caledonie has cancelled flights to Lifou, Maré, Île des Pins, and Ouvéa. Air Loyauté (RLY, Nouméa Magenta) also uses Noumea Magenta but has no flights scheduled through the airport until May 15.
The riots and subsequent airport closures further disrupt commercial aviation in the Southwest Pacific, which is experiencing a sudden capacity shortfall after Air Vanuatu filed voluntary administration late last week and suspended its international flights. That decision caused Aircalin to axe its codeshare with Air Vanuatu on flights between Noumea and Port Vila.
New Caledonia is a French overseas collectivity with significant autonomy under the terms of the 1998 Nouméa Accord.
