Pago Pago International Airport

Pago Pago International Airport
IATA: PPG ICAO: NSTU FAA LID: PPG
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	American Samoan Government
Operator	Department of Port Administration
Serves	Pago Pago
Location	Pago Pago, American Samoa, United States
Elevation AMSL	32 ft / 10 m
Coordinates	14°19′41″S 170°42′43″W / 14.32806°S 170.71194°W / -14.32806; -170.71194Coordinates: 14°19′41″S 170°42′43″W / 14.32806°S 170.71194°W / -14.32806; -170.71194
Map
PPG Location within American Samoa
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 05/23 10,000 3,048 Asphalt 08/26 3,800 1,158 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers 68,300 Passenger change 09–10 0.4% Aircraft movements 6,841 Movements change 09–10 0.3%
Source: 2010 World Airport Traffic Report.

Passengers	68,300
Passenger change 09–10	0.4%
Aircraft movements	6,841
Movements change 09–10	0.3%

Pago Pago International Airport (IATA: PPG, ICAO: NSTU, FAA LID: PPG), also known as Tafuna Airport, is a public airport located 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of the central business district of Pago Pago, in the village and plains of Tafuna on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States.

The site and location of the current airport was originally known as Tafuna Airfield. It was part of U.S. Naval Station Tutuila - Samoa Defense Group Area and was partially constructed before war broke out in the Pacific on 7 December 1941. Two airstrips were completed and opened on 17 March 1942.

The airfield was first utilized on 19 March 1942 by U.S. Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-111 which arrived by ship from San Diego, California. VMF-111 aircraft were off loaded in Pago Pago harbor and trucked to Tafuna airfield. The first planes from MAG-13 also arrived at Tafuna Airfield on 2 April 1942 at which point they assumed responsibility for the air defense of American Samoa. Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron VMO-151 arrived in early May 1942 at Tafuna Airfield where all three squadrons were based during the early part of the Pacific War. VMF-111 was eventually transitioned and based at Faleolo Airfield in Western (British) Samoa after Faleolo airfield was completed in July 1942 to protect Upolu and Savai'i islands.