Koumac Airport
Koumac Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Koumac, New Caledonia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 42 ft / 13 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 20°32′33″S 164°15′34″E / 20.54250°S 164.25944°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  KOC Location of airport in New Caledonia | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Koumac Airport is an airport in Koumac, New Caledonia (IATA: KOC, ICAO: NWWK).
History
The airstrip was expanded during World War II in order to support a fleet of B-17 bombers by the 810th American aviation battalion, which was one of the first two all-black engineering battalions of the war.[1] The airstrip was used as a base from which targets in the Solomon Islands were bombed.[2]
An Air Loyauté flight was hit by a projectile while landing at Koumac in 2010.[3]
In 2023, the airport was used as a base for practice by a joint operation called Exercise Croix du Sud 2023 involving the militaries of 19 nations to prepare for a possible situation in which evacuation of the area due to war or natural disaster is ever necessary. [4]
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Caledonie | Île Art, Nouméa–Magenta[5] |
| Air Loyauté | Nouméa–Magenta[6] |
References
- ^ "A look back at black aviation engineer units of World War II". Air Force. 27 Feb 2013. Retrieved 10 Mar 2024.
- ^ "Service Units around the World". p. 595.
- ^ "L'enquête va pouvoir commencer sur l'avion pris pour cible" (in French). les Nouvelles. 9 June 2010.
- ^ "CLB-5 Marines Participate in Exercise Croix du Sud 2023". DVIDS. 4 Mar 2024. Retrieved 6 Mar 2024.
- ^ "Air Caledonie cancels flights due to Cyclone Hale". 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Air Loyauté". Nouvelle Caledonie travel.
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