NOUMEA — The New Caledonia international airport in the capital city of Noumea will remain closed to commercial flights until at least 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Charles Roger, director of the body that operates the facility, told AFP.
That would extend the shutdown to nearly two weeks in total, after flights were halted on May 15 in the face of deadly rioting that broke out in the French Pacific territory.The news on Friday came as French President Emmanuel Macron warned the archipelago must not become 'the Wild West' during a television interview with local media.
Since Tuesday, New Zealand and Australia have been carrying out special evacuation flights to bring home hundreds of tourists stranded by the unrest, which was sparked by opposition to controversial electoral reforms.The Australian evacuation flights were set to continue on Friday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on social media platform X Thursday evening.Military aircraft from both countries were expected to pass through Noumea on Friday, according to flight tracker site Flightradar24.
Caledonia Airport Remains Closed
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