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
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.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft fuel
Available
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
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
De-icing
Not listed
Part-145 line maintenance
Available
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.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks 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
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.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks 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.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aviation security
Available
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.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Passenger & crew transport
Available · 2 providers
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
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks 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
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Flight support
Available
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
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Hotel & travel
Unconfirmed
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.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source