Fiji Airways is the only airline servicing the small South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is located halfway between Hawaii and Australia and consists of three reef islands and six atolls situated west of the International Date Line.
As the second least populous country in the world, following the Vatican, Tuvalu has a total land area of just 10 square miles and a permanent population of around 10,600 residents. Fiji Link, the regional division of Fiji Airways, operates an ATR 72-600 aircraft on the route between Fiji and Tuvalu, providing service three times a week from Suva. The flight duration is approximately two hours.
Upon returning to Suva, passengers can connect onto multiple feeder flights to Nadi Airport, linking them to the broader Fiji Airways network. Funafuti International Airport (FUN) is distinctive due to its limited size; when flights are not scheduled, the runway is used for recreational activities. A siren signals the arrival of an aircraft, alerting locals to stay clear of the 5,000-foot paved runway.
In the past, Tuvalu’s airport served two additional international airlines: Air Marshall Islands operated a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 until 1999, and Air Kiribati provided a weekly service with its Bombardier Dash 8 100 until September 2021.