Makemo Airport runway and small open-air terminal on a Tuamotu atoll, framed by coconut palms and turquoise lagoon water in French Polynesia

Airport

Makemo Airport (MKP)

Makemo Airport (MKP) is a small regional gateway to the village of Pouheva and the wider Makemo Atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia. Compare transfer options to Pouheva, local guesthouses and lagoon-side areas, and plan your onward journey with ease.

Passengers

Luggage

About Makemo Airport

Makemo Airport is a small regional airport on Makemo Atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia. It provides a vital domestic air link between the atoll and other islands in French Polynesia, particularly for the community around the village of Pouheva.

Opened in 1977, the airport has a simple and functional layout with a single runway and one small passenger terminal. Its infrastructure is designed for domestic island flights rather than large international traffic, and check-in, security and boarding are handled within the same compact terminal area.

The airport is located approximately 10 km west-northwest of Pouheva. There are no scheduled public buses or formal taxi ranks at the terminal, so most travellers arrange guesthouse pickups or private transfers in advance; the drive to the village typically takes around 10–15 minutes.

Although passenger amenities are limited, the airport serves as the main gateway for visitors travelling to Makemo's lagoon, pearl farms and diving areas, and for residents connecting to services in Papeete and other islands.

Small open-air terminal and coral airstrip at Makemo Airport in French Polynesia's Tuamotu Islands, framed by palms and turquoise lagoon

Terminal Overview

Travelers walking beneath terminal signs inside an airport

Terminals

Makemo Airport operates passenger services through a single small terminal that handles all domestic arrivals and departures. The single-storey terminal has no separate international or Schengen areas.

Ground Transportation Services to and from Makemo Airport

Transfers

Book a pre-arranged transfer from Makemo Airport to guesthouses, pensions and the village of Pouheva, since scheduled public transport is not available at the terminal.

Hourly Chauffeur

Arrange a local driver or chauffeur by the hour for flexible travel from the airport to Pouheva, lagoon access points, pearl farms and other locations around Makemo Atoll.

Car Rental

Car rental services are not available at Makemo Airport, so independent travellers should arrange guesthouse transfers or a private vehicle in advance for movement around the atoll.

Bus & Group Transfers

Organize a shared vehicle or group transfer from Makemo Airport for families, dive groups and guesthouse arrivals travelling between the terminal, Pouheva and other parts of the atoll.