AviatDataFaleolo International Airport APW / NSFA
Apia, Upolu Island · Samoa · Samoa Airport Authority (SAA) — state enterprise, formed 1986 under the Airport Authority Act 1984 and now governed by the Samoa Airport Authority Act 2012; operates all of Samoa's government airports (Faleolo, Fagali'i, Maota, Asau)
480kpax · 2025
H24International · customs & immigrationJet A-1
ICAO / IATANSFA / APW
OperatorSamoa Airport Authority (SAA) — state enterprise, formed 1986 under the Airport Authority Act 1984 and now governed by the Samoa Airport Authority Act 2012; operates all of Samoa's government airports (Faleolo, Fagali'i, Maota, Asau)
Coordinates13.8297°S, 172.0083°W
Elevation58 ft · 18 m
Time zoneWST (UTC+13, no DST — Samoa observed DST 2010-2021, discontinued since)
Passengers / yr480,000 (2025)
CustomsYes
Border controlYes
SchengenNo
FuelJet A-1
Bonded—
AIP referenceNSFA — AIP Samoa; Faleolo tower/approach is backed up by Nadi, Fiji (Nadi FIR) per published sources — the prior draft's 'Auckland FIR / Airways New Zealand Pacific AIP service' framing is unconfirmed and likely incorrect for the FIR assignment
Operating hoursH24 — ATC, rescue/fire, security and terminal operations run 24-hour shift rosters, covering scheduled early-morning and late-night international arrivals/departures (Air New Zealand, Qantas, Fiji Airways)
TerminalsSingle international terminal, built 2018 by Shanghai Construction Group (replacing the 1984 terminal donated by Japan); aerobridges in operation since 2019. SAA has not published terminal floor area or design passenger capacity — the '2024 expansion, 5,500→12,000 sqm, 3 aerobridges, ~600,000 pax/yr' figures in the prior draft could not be verified against any official source and have been removed
Runways (1)
- 08/26 · 3,000 m / 9,843 ft · 45 m wide · Asphalt · ILS ILS reported historically on RWY 08 (RWY 26 non-precision); current CAT status not independently confirmed — verify against current AIP Samoa/NOTAMs
Samoa's sole international gateway, 40km west of Apia on Upolu island. Single runway (08/26, 3,000m asphalt). An ILS on RWY08 has been referenced in older sources but current CAT-I status could not be independently verified (RWY26 should be treated as non-precision pending confirmation). Current terminal opened in 2018 (Shanghai Construction Group) with aerobridges added in 2019; no verified figures exist for terminal area or design passenger capacity — treat the previously-cited 2024 expansion numbers as unconfirmed. ~480,000 annual passengers (2025) is the best available estimate but is not independently confirmed against SAA or Samoa Bureau of Statistics published data.
Services
Available
On request / PPR
Seasonal / ageing
Unconfirmed / not listed
Ground handling
Available
Ramp handlingPassenger handling
Samoa Airways
Sole ramp/passenger ground handler at Faleolo, handling Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways and non-commercial operators in addition to its own Twin Otter services; confirmed by Samoa Airways management comments and Samoa Observer/Samoa News reporting on ramp operations and equipment.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft fuel
Available
Jet fuel (Jet A / A-1)Hydrant fuelling
Petroleum Products Supplies Ltd (PPS)
Holds the sole rights for Jet A-1 (and diesel/petrol) distribution to Samoa's airports including Faleolo, in partnership with Shell Fiji Ltd; operates 534mt of Jet A-1 storage fed by 30,000L tanker deliveries, with apron hydrant dispensing and into-plane refuelling by its own certified aircraft refuellers 24/7, per Logistics Cluster/Digital Logistics Capacity Assessment documentation. · 24/7
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
De-icing
Not listed
Part-145 line maintenance
Available
AOG supportTransit & daily checks
Samoa Airways
Maintains a licensed engineering base at Faleolo with Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAMEs) type-rated on B737-800NG/MAX; holds approval to certify the airworthiness of, and provide transit engineering/AOG support to, Fiji Airways Boeing aircraft and other carriers transiting Faleolo.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Part-145 base maintenance
Not listed
Component shops & overhaul
Not listed
Flight catering
Not listed
Aircraft cleaning
Not listed
Ground support equipment
Available
Tugs & towbarsLoaders & belt loaders
Samoa Airways
Owns, operates and maintains the airport's ramp GSE fleet (tugs, cargo loaders, hydraulic loading systems for widebody containers); refurbished equipment sourced from Spain and new equipment from China (2023, approx. WST1.4m) after equipment failures grounded Air New Zealand widebody services.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Cargo handling
Available
Samoa Airways
Loads/offloads cargo containers for widebody flights using its own hydraulic ramp equipment; a 2023 hydraulic cargo-loader failure that halted Air NZ widebody freight service illustrates the in-house cargo-handling role, per Samoa Observer reporting.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Aviation security
Available
Passenger & baggage screeningAircraft guarding
Samoa Airport Authority
Security Services Department screens passengers, baggage and cargo by x-ray (recently upgraded with Smiths Detection Hi-Scan/CTX/IONSCAN equipment, operational by Oct 2024) and staffs Aviation Security Officers under the Authority's mandate to safeguard Faleolo against unlawful interference, per the Authority's own site; a permanent Police unit was also established airside from 2023.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Passenger & crew transport
Available · 2 providers
Crew transportCar rentalBus & shuttle
Avis
Car rental counter in the Faleolo terminal building with a fleet on airport grounds and 24-hour service, per Avis's own site and Samoa Airport Authority's rentals listing; available for crew as well as passenger vehicle hire. · 24/7
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Budget Rent a Car
Car rental at Faleolo Airport with a complimentary shuttle to its nearby depot, 24-hour service per its own site and the Samoa Airport Authority's official rentals listing. · 24/7
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Flight support
Available
Flight planning & weather
Samoa Meteorology Division (SaMet)
Operates a 24/7 weather-observation station at Faleolo alongside its Mulinu'u station, providing aviation weather data to airlines and air traffic control; per MNRE/SaMet's own site it is in the process of full certification to issue Aviation Weather Forecasts for all carriers operating in Samoa's airspace. · 24/7
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source
Hotel & travel
Unconfirmed
Crew layoverAccommodation
Transit Motel
Budget motel on Faleolo Airport Road between the terminal and the Mulifanua inter-island wharf, purpose-built to serve the travelling public with a dedicated airport shuttle; closest accommodation to the airport, though no documented formal airline/crew layover contract was found.
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Verified 2 months ago · unconfirmed source