Totegegie Airport
Totegegie Airport (IATA: GMR, ICAO: NTGJ) is an airport on Totegegie Island in the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. It is 9 km northeast of the village of Rikitea.
Totegegie Airport | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Serves | Gambier Islands, French Polynesia Is the closest airport to the Pitcairn Islands | ||||||||||
Location | Rikitea | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 7 ft / 2 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 23°05′04″S 134°53′07″W | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
GMR Location of the airport in French Polynesia | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Sources: French AIP[1] |
Totegegie is one of Mangareva island's reefs, approximately 9 km (5.6 mi) from Rikitea, the island's administrative settlement. It has the only building on the reef. The airport is 1,652 km (1,027 mi) from Tahiti and is classified as a territorial aerodrome. Its only commercial service is to Tahiti's Fa'a'ā International Airport on Tuesdays.[2][3]
Totegegie Airport is crucial in its role as the outside world's link to Pitcairn Island. One of the only ways a traveler can reach Pitcairn is to fly to Tahiti, then to Totegegie. From there, a 32-hour boat ride will take one to Pitcairn.[3]
History
The 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) runway was constructed in 1967 by the 115th running of the Society of the Pacific Experimentation Centre Pacific (CEP). The first aircraft, a Piper Aztec, landed in 1968. The same year, a DC-6 performed weekly service between Totegegie, Mururoa and Papeete. In 1978, the first commercial air link was established between Totegegie and Papeete.[4]
The French army buildings were decommissioned in 1998. At the end of operations 50 tons of scrap metal had been collected.[5]
In 2008, the terminal was expanded and modernized.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Tahiti | Hao, Papeete[6] |
Ground transportation
The airport is connected to Mangareva and its city Rikitea by boat.
From Mangareva there are boats going to Pitcairn Island, the main way of getting there.
Passengers
The increase in passenger numbers is shown below. [7]
Years | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Passengers | 5,236 | 5,249 | 5,319 | 5,129 | 4,937 | 5,609 | 5,922 | 6,598 | 6,938 | 7,155 | 7,409 | 6,850 | 7,420 | 7,003 | 7,798 | 7,521 | 7,498 | 7,201 | 7,675 | 8,498 |
Wildlife
The shrub Pemphis acidula, is widespread on Polynesian atolls and is known locally as the 'miki miki'.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Totegegie Airport. |
References
- NTGJ – TOTEGEGIE. AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 16 July 2020.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-27. Retrieved 2012-06-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2012-06-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- http://gadper.free.fr/public/Polynesie/les_anciens_racontent/Construction%20de%20la%20piste%20de%20Totegegie%20en%201967-1.pdf
- http://www.moruroa.org/medias/pdf/T%C3%A9moignage%20Gambier%201967.pdf
- https://www.airtahiti.com/download-schedule
- https://www.aeroport.fr/view-statistiques/totegegie