Maota Airport (IATA: MXS, ICAO: NSMA) is the main domestic airport on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. It is situated near Salelologa at the east end of Savai'i.[2] The airport is located 10 minutes south of Salelologa township and ferry terminal. The airport has been in operation since the early 1990s. It was tar-sealed in 1994, and declared a customs port of entry in 1997.[3] In the past, the airport has served flights from Faleolo International Airport on the main island Upolu and Asau Airport at the northwest end of Savai'i, but domestic flights were discontinued before 2000.[4] The airport was refurbished in late 2020,[4] and Samoa Airways resumed domestic flights in September that year.[5]
Maota (Salelologa) Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Salelologa, Savai'i, Samoa | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 13°44′32″S 172°15′30″W / 13.74222°S 172.25833°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  MXS Location of airport in Samoa  MXS MXS (Pacific Ocean) | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Facilities
editThe airport has a short runway suitable for Twin Otter and other small passenger aircraft. The airport terminal is an open fale. Landings are limited to daylight hours due to a lack of lighting. A small control tower exists directed from the control tower at Faleolo on Upolu.
Airlines and Destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Samoa Airways | Apia |
References
edit- ^ Airport information for MXS at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- ^ "Airport Administration". Samoa Airport Authority. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "History". Samoa Airport Authority. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ a b Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (4 September 2020). "Maota Samoa runway gets fresh paint". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ Sapeer Mayron (11 September 2020). "Tourism operators hold hope for Savai'i flights". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
External links
edit- Airport information for NSMA at Great Circle Mapper.
- Accident history for MXS at Aviation Safety Network