Vava'u International Airport
Vava'u International Airport
Vava?u International Airport (IATA: VAV, ICAO: NFTV), also known as Lupepau?u International Airport, is an airport in Vava?u, Tonga. The airport is located 10 km (6.2 mi) north of the capital Neiafu. The airport has limited direct service, currently through Fiji Airways. Previously services had been provided by Chathams Pacific (until 2013) and Real Tonga (until 2020). In 2020, Lulutai Airlines began service but paused service in January 2023 due to its damaged aircraft needing repairs. Less frequent services connect Vava’u to Ha’apai, Niuafo?ou and Niuatoputapu. Flight time is 50 minutes to Tongatapu, 30 minutes to Ha’apai and a little over one hour to both Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’u. In October 2021 the Tongan Government announced plans for an NZ$172 million upgrade of the airport, including a longer runway, replacement terminal, and renewable energy plant. The expansion would allow direct flights from New Zealand and Australia, and be funded by a public-private partnership. In December 2024 acting prime minister Samiu Vaipulu announced the airport would be privatised. In February 2025 the new government of ?Aisake Eke reversed the privatisation decision.
Location
18.585°S, 173.962°O · 72 m s. n. m. (236 ft)
General data
Runways · 1
Lengths and surfaces from the public OurAirports register; open runways only.
Radio frequencies · 1
Flight information
Reference frequencies for enthusiasts, from OurAirports (community database, public domain), checked on Oct 16, 2026. They may be outdated or incomplete and do not replace the AIP or current charts: not for navigation. In Europe the published frequency may be an 8.33 kHz channel (e.g., 118.505 for 118.500). In MHz.
Airlines operating here · 2
Other airlines with direct routes
Airlines with current passenger routes from here, according to Wikipedia route tables cross-checked from both ends (October 2026).
Photo: fearlessRich · CC BY 2.0 · view original
Data from OurAirports (public domain) · destinations and airlines from Wikipedia route tables (CC BY-SA, 2026), unless another source is given · profile and photo from Wikidata/Wikimedia Commons (CC0 / CC) · summary and history from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 15, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 15). Vava'u International Airport (VAV). Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV
MLA
“Vava'u International Airport (VAV).” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 15 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Vava'u International Airport (VAV).” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 15, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Vava'u International Airport (VAV). Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV (Accessed: 25 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_airport_vav,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Vava'u International Airport (VAV)}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-15},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV}},
urldate = {2026-10-25},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/airport/VAV |title=Vava'u International Airport (VAV) |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-15 |access-date=2026-10-25 |language=en}}