Japan greenlights $17.7m upgrade for Tonga’s main airport

Tonga’s main airport is getting a major upgrade following the signing of a multi-million-dollar grant agreement with Japan’s aid agency, the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

The improvements follow the Tongan government’s initial request to Japan in 2022. Following a detailed study, the upgrade at Fua’amotu International Airport is now underway with grant aid of US$17.7 million (NZ$29.8m).

The renovation details include expanding and renovating the passenger terminal building, installing a passenger boarding air-bridge and elevator, and constructing a covered shelter in front of the terminal.

Additionally, the International Apron will be expanded to ensure that flights can continue operating, even in the event of an aircraft breakdown.

The airport is located 35km from Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, on the main island of Tongatapu.

Fua’amotu is not the only international terminal in the kingdom - Vava’u’s Lupepau’u International Airport also receives flights from Fiji.

Fua'amotu International Airport. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

Fua’amotu is capable of accommodating aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767 and has regular services from New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji. Under Tongan law, the airport is closed on Sundays and opens only in emergencies with government approval.

Japan previously funded the construction of the airport terminal 35 years ago. In a Facebook post, the Embassy of Japan in Tonga reiterated its commitment to the region.

The upstairs area of Fuaʻamotu International Airport is well known as the place where families and friends gather to bid farewell or warmly welcome loved ones. Photo/PMN Digital/Joseph Safiti

“In 2025, it will have the privilege of funding a multimillion-dollar improvement project again, which is a testament of Japan’s pivotal vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific, strengthening our bond or ‘kizuna’ - which remains strong,” as stated by the Hon. Prime Minister of Tonga.”

The two countries have maintained bilateral relationships since 1970, with Japan being Tonga’s leading donor in the field of technical aid.

According to Tonga Statistics, the number of arrivals recently matched pre-Covid levels, with over 125,000 visitors recorded in 2024.

Arrivals peaked in 2019 at just over 136,000, but plunged to 1903 in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Watch Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters arrive at Fua'amotu International Airport below