Tontouta Air Base was originally constructed by the United States Navy's Seabees. THe base played a role during the Pacific War of the Second World War. The base had two runways numbered 3/21 and 11/29. The base reverted to French control after the war and today's remaining runway is aligned on 11/29. United States Army Air Forces units based here included: 64th Troop Carrier Squadron operating Douglas C-47 Skytrains in 1943 67th Fighter Squadron operating Bell P-39 Airacobras from 17 March 1942 – 24 April 1943 United States Marine Corps units based here included: VMF-212 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats VMO-251 operating Grumman F4F Wildcats from June–August 1942 A major expansion of the airport's terminal was completed in 2012 after several years of work. The project resulted in a significant increase in the terminal's size and included a new arrivals area, a larger check-in area and the installation of two jetbridges. The terminal now has five stands capable of handling commercial jet aircraft, two of which are served by the new airbridges and three of which utilise stairs to access the aircraft. In addition, the airport has several more stands designed to handle smaller aircraft. In response to the 2024 New Caledonia unrest, Nouméa's international airport was closed until 21 May 2024. Due to the airport's closure, Air New Zealand cancelled its flights to Nouméa scheduled for 18 and 20 May.