First French Tourists Evacuated from New Caledonia

AFP/APP

Noumea: The first evacuation flights for tourists stranded in France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia took off Saturday, the high commission in the archipelago said, as President Emmanuel Macron’s government sought to defuse the crisis.

The international airport in the capital Noumea has remained closed for more than a week and all commercial flights have been canceled until at least Tuesday.

“Measures to send foreigners and French tourists home continue,” the high commission, which represents the French state, said in a statement.