Modern upgrades to the Fua’amotu international airport terminal have been made to resolve five-year old complaints from international passengers, Deputy Prime Minister Sēmisi Sika said today.
The areas for luggage claims and immigration services were too small, Hon. Sika said.
More complaints were made after Air New Zealand began using its Boeing 777. When the airliner’s 300 passengers line up to be processed, the end of the queue stretches outside the terminal.
The issue was worse when the Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia flights arrived at the same time.
Hon Sika. told Kaniva news Tonga Airport Ltd had planned an upgrade, but he had changed it to ensure that larger expansion could be made.
He said the Prime Minister had ordered that the expansion be speeded up.
Dramatic photos of the upgrade to the arrival lounge shared by Ministry of Infrastructure on social media have attracted compliments from the public.
Some people compared what they saw to international airport terminals in New Zealand and Australia.
Hon. Sika said the photos were taken while the upgrades were still under construction.
He said the passengers were allowed to use the new arrival lounge while the work was being completed.
The upgrades include the hall way, check in and duty free lounges, customs areas and the departure lounge.
It had originally been expected the upgrades would be completed during the Heilala Festival.
Hon Sika said the improvement to the airport meant the terminal could cater for the dramatic rise in tourists arriving from overseas during the whale watching season, which runs from July to November.
As Kaniva news reported in June, work on the bridges which connect the terminal directly with passenger aircraft is already underway.
This means airline passengers will no longer have to walk across the tarmac in the rain when the new jet bridges come into service.
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Passengers will soon exit and board aircraft through jet bridges at Fua‘amotu International Airport
