A road blockade in Nouméa, May 20, 2024 in New Caledonia (AFP/Theo Rouby)
Nouméa international airport remains closed to commercial flights until Saturday 9:00 a.m. (12:00 a.m. in Paris), Charles Roger, director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of New Caledonia, told AFP on Tuesday. platform manager.
Due to the blockages and violence that have shaken the French territory in the South Pacific for a week, Tontouta airport has been closed to commercial flights since May 14.
“Over the period from May 14 to 25, the cancellations of Aircalin flights”, one of the airlines operating in Nouméa and of which the local government is 99% owner, “concern a total of 85 flights and nearly 10,000 passengers, a specified Aircalin in a press release.
The first evacuation flights are due to take place on Tuesday to exfiltrate tourists stuck in the Oceanian archipelago, affected by an independence revolt against an electoral reform passed in Paris.
Australia and New Zealand in particular have been trying for several days to repatriate their hundreds of stranded nationals. They announced Tuesday morning the sending of several flights to evacuate them.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his government had chartered a flight to Nouméa. The plane, which left late in the morning, must repatriate fifty New Zealanders.
Two other aircraft are due to leave Australia during the day to evacuate “Australian tourists and others”, added his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
One of the planes landed around 3:30 p.m. local time on the tarmac of Magenta airport, noted an AFP journalist.
© 2024 AFP
Did you like this article ? Share it with your friends using the buttons below.
