Fua’amotu International Airport has received brand new security screening equipment, improving safety for travelers to and from Tonga. Acting High Commissioner for New Zealand to Tonga, Leitu Sa, officiated the ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the successful completion of a nine-year project supported by New Zealand.
Athol Glover, Principal Adviser of Aviation Security at Civil Aviation Authority New Zealand (CAANZ), highlighted the importance of this new equipment for Pacific Island nations. “All good things eventuate,” he said in a statement from the New Zealand High Commission, celebrating the achievement despite challenges to getting these equipment such as COVID-related delays.
New Zealand has invested NZD $2 million into Tonga’s airport security as part of a broader NZD $9.4 million initiative benefiting nine Pacific countries. The new equipment includes dual x-ray and metal detectors, alongside technical and operational training, maintenance, and service support.
Tonga Airports Limited, the Civil Aviation Division, and partners are working together to ensure this upgrade contributes to safer air travel for passengers.
