Plane spotting
Not yet reviewed
Mataveri is famous for low arrivals: wide-body jets pass very close to the public coastal road—an intense, safe-from-the-roadside look at modern aviation.
The runway and the wind
In the 1980s, with NASA support, Mataveri’s runway was extended as a possible Space Shuttle emergency landing strip (the lengthened runway was inaugurated in 1987). Built for that purpose, it is unusually long for such a small island and runs roughly coast to coast across the southwest part of Rapa Nui. Prevailing winds tend to blow from the southeast toward the northwest, so aircraft usually land from the west, where the coastal road runs close to the threshold. From the roadside—staying on public ground, off the movement area, and clear of traffic—you can feel and hear a modern jet passing just overhead.
Flight times
LATAM is the airline that serves the island. For schedules, bookings, and same-day flight information, use LATAM’s website—times change with the season.
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