<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History</h2>
<p class="blog-para">Scheduled services from the Chilean mainland started in 1967 with a monthly Douglas DC-6B propliner flight operated by LAN-Chile that took nine hours, using a runway extended and paved for the use as a U.S. base. In 1970, services were upgraded with weekly Boeing 707-320 nonstop jet service to Santiago, Chile and Faa'a International Airport (PPT) in Papeete, Tahiti. Nonstop service to Papeete had been added earlier during the late 1960s using a DC-6B and the frequency then doubled to twice-weekly with LAN-Chile providing direct connecting 707 service once a week between Easter Island and Frankfurt, Paris and Madrid in Europe via its Santiago hub. By 1975, LAN-Chile had extended its Tahiti route flown once a week with a 707 to Nadi, Fiji (NAN).</p>
<p class="blog-para">LAN-Chile then replaced its Boeing 707 flights with Boeing 767-200ER jet service and in 1993 was operating twice weekly round trip flights on a routing of Santiago (SCL) &ndash; Easter Island (IPC) &ndash; Papeete (PPT). The airline later operated Airbus A340 and Boeing 767-300ER wide body jetliners into the airport.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The airport's single runway is 3,318 m (10,885 ft) long. The airport was once designated as an abort site for the U.S. Space Shuttle when polar orbital flights from Vandenberg Air Force Base in southern California were planned with this space launch activity then subsequently being cancelled. The project undertaken by NASA to lengthen the runway was completed in 1987 and enabled wide-bodied jets to use the airport, which further boosted tourism to the island.</p>
<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-left">Description</h2>
<p class="blog-para">Due to the lack of diversion airports between Tahiti and South America except for Mataveri, Chilean aviation authorities prohibit more than one aircraft from being in the vicinity of Mataveri. Once an aircraft flying from South America passes the halfway point between South America and Easter Island, no other aircraft can be closer than its own halfway point until the first aircraft successfully lands on the island. This is because if an aircraft should have an accident that obstructs or closes the runway, the other aircraft would not be able to land, and should have been turned back to its airport of departure.</p>
<p class="blog-para">There is a hill adjacent to the eastern end of the runway. Approach and departures to either end of the runway are over the water.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="Mataveri   Airport" src="../../main/img/airport/mata/1.webp" alt="Mataveri   Airport" width="950px" height="500px"></p>