Santo Pekoa International Airport (SON)

Luganville, VU 🇻🇺 Medium Airport Scheduled Service

ICAO

NVSS

IATA

SON

Elevation

184 ft

Region

VU-SAM

Local Time

Airport Information

GPS Code: NVSS

Local Code: Not available

Location: -15.505° N, 167.220001° E

Continent: OC

Type: Medium Airport

Arrivals

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Departures

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External Links

Official Website Wikipedia Live Flights

Nearby Points of Interest

Tourist Attractions View
Hotels View
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What Travelers Say

AI-Generated Summary Based on web research

Travelers at Santo Pekoa International Airport (NVSS (SON)) in Luganville, Vanuatu, generally have mixed but often understanding experiences. While many acknowledge the airport's basic nature and limited facilities, they appreciate its functionality for a smaller island airport. Recent reviews indicate a sentiment that the airport "functions well as it should," despite a clear need for investment and modern amenities.

What Travelers Love

Efficient Arrival Process: Travelers often report being processed efficiently upon arrival.
Pleasant Staff: Many reviewers describe the staff as pleasant and focused on their jobs.
Reasonable Cafe Prices: The small cafe is noted for offering reasonable prices.
Relatively Quick Security & Immigration: Security checkpoint times average around 6 minutes, and passport control/immigration around 5 minutes, with low overall traffic.
Good Exchange Rates: The airport is mentioned as having better currency exchange rates compared to other airports.
Easy Access to Town: Taxis and buses are readily available for transport to Luganville town, typically costing 150-300 VUV.

Common Complaints

Lack of Air Conditioning & Working Fans: A significant complaint is the absence of air conditioning, except in the customs area, and not all fans were working at check-in, leading to a hot environment.
Limited Facilities and Cleanliness: The terminal facilities receive low ratings, with mentions of a small cafe with insufficient seating and general cleanliness issues.
Slow and Manual Check-in Processes: Check-in can be slow, with some instances of hand-written boarding passes.
Selective Service at Check-in: Some travelers have reported frustrating experiences with check-in attendants allegedly refusing service to tourists while serving locals, citing broken scales that then magically work for others.
Mandatory Departure Tax: There is a 200 VUV departure tax that must be paid at a kiosk near check-in, and travelers complain that this is not clearly communicated.
Slow Immigration and Customs on Departure: While arrival is often efficient, the departure process for immigration and customs can be slow due to a limited number of officers.

Overall, Santo Pekoa International Airport provides a basic, functional experience for travelers. While it handles arrivals and security relatively efficiently, the lack of modern amenities, occasional issues with check-in, and the uncommunicated departure tax are common frustrations. Travelers should arrive with appropriate expectations for a smaller, older airport and allow ample time for departure procedures.

Generated True weeks ago

This summary is automatically generated by AI based on web research of traveler reviews and experiences. AI-generated content may not always be 100% accurate.

Current Weather Conditions

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Airport Routes

Top Routes (by observations)

Newly Discovered

Popular Flight Routes

Building Route Index: We are building our route index for commercial airports. Currently 11 routes are indexed for Santo Pekoa International Airport. For real-time updates, admin access is required.

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Destination	IATA	City	Aircraft Type	Airline	Details	Route Map
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Top Airlines

Operating at Santo Pekoa International Airport

Airlines by Flight Activity

Based on observed flight operations and route network

Airline	Routes	Flights	Destinations	Last Activity
Air Vanuatu `AVN` / `NF`	8	158	8	Dec 10, 2025
Solomon Airlines `SOL` / `IE`	2	10	2	Nov 26, 2025

Showing top 2 airlines by flight activity. Data includes observed departures and route networks from this airport.

For Pilots

Designation	Length	Width	Surface	Status
`12/30`	6523 ft	98 ft	ASP	Active Lighted

Type	Description	Frequency
CTAF	CTAF	`118.1 MHz`
FSS	PORT VILA FLT SVC	`655.3 MHz`

Ident	Name	Type	Frequency
`SON`	Santo	NDB-DME	`412 kHz`

Ground Transportation

Last updated: Nov 21, 2025

Taxis

Taxis are readily available at the airport to meet arriving flights. Fares are generally not metered, so it is highly recommended to confirm the price with the driver for your destination (e.g., Luganville town or your resort) before starting the trip.

Rental Cars

Several local car rental companies operate on Espiritu Santo and can arrange for vehicle pickup and drop-off at the airport. Options often include 4WDs, which are useful for exploring the island's more rugged roads. Booking in advance is strongly advised, especially during peak tourist season.

Public Transportation

Public transport consists of privately-owned minibuses, which are the most common and affordable way to travel. These shared buses can be found at the airport around flight arrival times and will take passengers into the main town of Luganville. They operate on semi-fixed routes but can often be hailed like a shared taxi.

Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.