Vava'u International Airport — Vava'u Island, Tonga

Vava'u International Airport goes by the code VAV and provides the essential air connection for Tonga's northern island group, an archipelago prized by sailors for its calm, reef-sheltered anchorages. Locals sometimes call it Lupepau'u, the name tied to the site itself, and flights link Vava'u to Tongatapu and the capital Nuku'alofa on domestic turboprop services typical of Pacific island airstrips. Between roughly July and October, humpback whales migrate through Vava'u's surrounding waters to breed and calve, and that seasonal event fills flights with divers and wildlife-watchers eager to swim alongside the animals. Direct routes to Fiji have appeared and disappeared over the years as regional carriers adjusted to demand. Outside whale season, VAV settles into a quieter rhythm built around inter-island trade, government travel, and a modest but steady tourism base.