New Caledonia airport to remain closed to commercial flights
Noumea's international airport will remain closed to commercial flights until 9am (11pm Lisbon time) on Thursday, the head of New Caledonia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Charles Roger, announced today.
![New Caledonia airport to remain closed to commercial flights](https://media-manager.noticiasaominuto.com/960/naom_5888a4042971f.jpg)
© iStock
![Notícias ao Minuto](https://cdn.noticiasaominuto.com/img/equipa/pessoa/lusa.png)
Mundo Nova Caledónia
Commercial flights have been suspended since Tuesday due to the riots in the French territory in the South Pacific.
Today's announcement was made despite the many appeals made by Australia and, above all, by New Zealand, which wants to get its citizens out of the territory.
For a week, the territory has been the scene of violence on an unprecedented scale in 40 years, in reaction to a reform of the electoral body criticized by supporters of independence.
The crisis began when a new bill was introduced in Paris stating that French residents who have lived in the archipelago for 10 years can now vote in local elections.
Local political leaders fear that New Caledonia's forces will be weakened by the new measure.
The riots that followed have already caused the deaths of at least five people, including two police officers, and hundreds of injuries, according to the authorities.
The Australian Prime Minister said today that the situation in New Caledonia is "really worrying" and added that the Australian Air Force is ready to intervene for the more than 300 citizens of the country who are in that territory of the South Pacific.
Two Australian tourists told the France-Presse news agency that they had been stranded in New Caledonia since Tuesday, in a hotel complex halfway between the capital Noumea and the airport, and that they were about to run out of food, since the roads are blocked.
The two airlines that operate in the territory, Aircalin and Air Calédonie, are providing accommodation for some of those stranded in New Caledonia, but have already warned that "they cannot do this forever".
The local government owns 99% of Aircalin and 50.3% of Air Calédonie.
Read also: Australia tries to withdraw about 300 citizens from New Caledonia (Portuguese version)
Descarregue a nossa App gratuita.
Oitavo ano consecutivo Escolha do Consumidor para Imprensa Online e eleito o produto do ano 2024.
* Estudo da e Netsonda, nov. e dez. 2023 produtodoano- pt.com