Fiji Airways is the exclusive airline servicing the small South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is located midway between Hawaii and Australia. The nation consists of three reef islands and six atolls situated west of the International Date Line.
As the second least populous country in the world after the Vatican, Tuvalu has a total land area of only 10 square miles and a permanent population of approximately 10,600 residents. The regional division of Fiji Airways, known as Fiji Link, operates its ATR 72-600 aircraft for flights between Fiji and Tuvalu, providing service three times a week from Suva. The flight duration is about two hours.
Upon returning to Suva, passengers are offered numerous connecting flights to Nadi Airport, enabling them to connect to the broader Fiji Airways network. Funafuti International Airport (FUN) is particularly noteworthy due to the limited space available on the island. In instances of unexpected flights, the runway is often repurposed for sports and recreational activities. A siren alerts residents to clear the 5,000-foot paved runway as an aircraft prepares to land.
Historically, Tuvalu’s airport has seen operations from two other international airlines: Air Marshall Islands, which operated a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 until 1999, and Air Kiribati, which offered a weekly service with its Bombardier Dash 8 100 until September 2021.