19 Oct 2016

Tonga Airports to change lighting circuits after fault

3:24 pm on 19 October 2016

The CEO of Tonga Airports Ltd says work will be undertaken next week to avoid the kinds of disruptions that led to two international flights being diverted Tuesday night.

Viliami Ma'ake said an Air New Zealand and a Virgin Airlines flight had to be diverted to Nadi and Apia respectively because the runway lights at Tongatapu's Fua'amotu airport were not working.

Mr Ma'ake said an inspection found a faulty cable which was repaired in time for operations this morning.

He said Tonga Airports would be carrying out extra inspections and work over the next few days.

"To interleave the circuits. Currently we have one circuit, so if there is any fault in that circuit it takes off all the lights."

" With two circuits, if any of the cable is faulty, one cable, it will take off 50 percent of the lights, but the remaining 50 percent will still allow us to land and depart the aircrafts," he said.