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Wamena Airport

Coordinates: 4°05′54″S 138°57′05.98″E / 4.09833°S 138.9516611°E / -4.09833; 138.9516611
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Wamena Airport
Bandar Udara Wamena
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Indonesia
OperatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation
ServesWamena, Tolikara, Yahukimo, Yalimo
LocationWamena, Jayawijaya Regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia
Operating base forSusi Air
Time zoneWIT (UTC+09:00)
Elevation AMSL5,435 ft / 1,656 m
Coordinates4°05′54″S 138°57′05.98″E / 4.09833°S 138.9516611°E / -4.09833; 138.9516611
Map
WMX is located in Highland Papua
WMX
WMX
Location in Highland Papua
WMX is located in Western New Guinea
WMX
WMX
Location in Western New Guinea
WMX is located in Indonesia
WMX
WMX
Location in Indonesia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33[1] 7,136 2,435 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers342,927 (Increase 16.71%)
Cargo (tonnes)123,094.18 (Increase 1.24%)
Aircraft movements31,705 (Increase 11.81%)
Source: DGCA[2][3]

Wamena Airport (IATA: WMX, ICAO: WAVV) is a domestic airport serving the town of Wamena in Jayawijaya Regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia. The airport is located about 1 km (0.62 miles) from Wamena’s town center. The airport is the largest and busiest in the Papuan highlands and serves as the primary gateway for both passenger and cargo traffic to the region, particularly Jayawijaya Regency, as well as the neighboring regencies of Lanny Jaya and Tolikara. It also serves as the main point of entry to the Baliem Valley, where the annual Baliem Valley Festival is held. It is currently the only airport in the highlands capable of accommodating narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, and C-130 Hercules, and functions as the primary aviation hub for the region. At present, the airport handles scheduled flights to cities such as Jayapura and Timika, in addition to pioneer routes serving remote areas across the highland.

History

[edit]
A De Kroonduif Douglas DC-3 aircraft at Wamena Airstrip, 1959.
Wamena Airport terminal in 2006, before it was destroyed by fire in 2011

On 20 April 1954, a group of missionaries from the United States arrived in the Baliem Valley, which was then part of Netherlands New Guinea. The missionary team traveled by light aircraft, landing on the Baliem River, specifically in Minimo village, with the primary mission of introducing Christianity to the Dani people of the Baliem Valley.[4] The first missionary station was subsequently established in Hitigima. Over the following seven months, they constructed the first airstrip in the area.[4] Some time later, the missionaries identified a more suitable site for an airfield. This site, located near the territory of the Mukoko people, became the location where a new airstrip was developed, which would later evolve into present-day Wamena Airport. The early airstrip was built by missionaries and local residents using basic tools and had minimal infrastructure, with a simple grass or compacted earth runway and no fencing.[5]

In 1958, the Dutch colonial administration formally established its presence in the Baliem Valley, constructing a government post in the vicinity of the airstrip.[4] In 1960, the Dutch authorities established regular air services to Wamena in response to the increasing number of tourists visiting the Baliem Valley.[6] By 1961, De Kroonduif, a subsidiary of KLM operating in Netherlands New Guinea, operated four weekly flights between Hollandia (now Jayapura) and Wamena using Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft.[7] Following the New York Agreement in 1963, the Dutch withdrew from New Guinea, and control of the airfield was transferred to the Indonesian government. The Jayapura–Wamena route was subsequently taken over by the Indonesian state-owned airline Merpati Nusantara Airlines.[8]

Following the Indonesian annexation of Western New Guinea, President Suharto ordered the upgrade of Wamena Airport to accommodate larger aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules as part of broader efforts to develop West Irian.[9] The project, supported by the Indonesian Navy, Air Force, and the Army Corps of Engineers under Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, aimed to improve regional connectivity and support economic activities, particularly the distribution of agricultural products from the Baliem Valley.[9] The runway was extended from 1,400 meters to 1,900 meters, with completion originally planned for June 1971, but, the first C-130 Hercules successfully landed on 22 August 1970.[9]

On 2 April 1977, management of the airport was transferred from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Transportation.[10] At that time, Wamena Airport was already capable of accommodating aircraft such as the Fokker F27.[10]

On 1 August 2000, approximately 100 members of the Papua Task Force (PTF), a pro-independence civilian militia, seized control of Wamena Airport after rumors circulated that refugees fleeing violence in the Maluku Islands would arrive there.[11] Armed with bows, arrows, and clubs, they forced their way past security, set up their own guards, and took control of key areas of the airport.[11] During the takeover, PTF members searched passengers and ransacked luggage, particularly those bound for Jayapura, while also preventing some travelers from departing. The disruption lasted several days until police forces regained control of the airport on 5 August 2000.[11]

In the early morning of 26 September 2011, the terminal at Wamena Airport was destroyed by fire, which was suspected to have been caused by a short circuit.[12] There were no casualties in the incident. The fire destroyed the terminal facilities, including the airport medical room, baggage area, and ticket counters.[13] The losses were estimated at up to nine billion rupiah.[13]

Facilities and development

[edit]
Facade of Wamena Airport
Apron view
Check-in area
Boarding hall

To replace the terminal that was destroyed by fire in 2011, the government began airport terminal in 2014, funded through the 2014 State Budget (DIPA) for Phase I of the terminal building.[14] Construction continued in 2015 with Phase II, with a total budget of IDR 54.03 billion. The development included a new passenger terminal with a total area of 4,000 m², compared to the previous terminal of only 965 m². The new terminal features a local architectural style inspired by the traditional honai house and has a departure capacity of up to 228 passengers.[14] The facilities include five check-in counters, passenger seating in the boarding area, air-conditioned rooms, and restrooms.[15] On the airside, Wamena Airport has two aircraft parking areas (apron) measuring 180 m × 45 m and 356 m × 45 m, along with five taxiways.[16] The airport runway was extended to 2,175 m × 30 m, which is capable of accommodating larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737-300.[16] The new terminal was inaugurated by then President Joko Widodo on 30 December 2015.[17]

In 2019, the runway was extended from 2,175 m x 30 m to 2,275 m x 30 m,[18] and was further extended and widened to 2,435 m x 45 m in 2024 to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800.[19] In the future, the runway is planned to be extended further up to 2,800 m.[20] A new 800 m parallel taxiway is also planned for construction.[21]

Airlines and destinations

[edit]

Passenger

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
Sriwijaya Air Jayapura[22]
Susi AirAnggruk,[23] Balinggama,[2] Bikgunulingge,[2] Denema,[2] Enggolok,[2] Gingginem,[2] Holuwon,[23] Ilaga,[23] Illu,[23] Kenyam,[23] Koropun,[23] Kweapbel, Mulia,[23] Nalca, Oksibil,[23] Owitlep,[2] Pasema,[23] Silimo[23]
Trigana AirJayapura,[24] Timika[25]
Wings AirJayapura[26]

Cargo

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
Cardig AirJayapura[27]
Jayawijaya DirgantaraJayapura,[28] Timika[29]
My Indo AirlinesJayapura[30]
Tri-MG Intra Asia AirlinesTimika[31]

Statistics

[edit]
Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics
Year
Passengers
handled
Passenger
% change
Cargo
(tonnes)
Cargo
% change
Aircraft
movements
Aircraft
% change
2006 76,802 Steady 9,058.30 Steady 20,898 Steady
2007 122,456 Increase 59.44 34,980.03 Increase 286.17 22,823 Increase 9.21
2008 217,664 Increase 77.75 41,947.83 Increase 19.92 23,476 Increase 2.86
2009 191,124 Decrease 12.19 35,310.15 Decrease 15.82 26,822 Increase 14.25
2010 201,710 Increase 5.54 66,597.74 Increase 88.61 29,368 Increase 9.49
2011 254,286 Increase 26.07 94,817.98 Increase 42.37 34,472 Increase 17.38
2012 225,295 Decrease 11.40 12,574.88 Decrease 86.74 34,189 Decrease 0.82
2013 227,957 Increase 1.18 83,916.84 Increase 567.34 33,354 Decrease 2.44
2014 280,533 Increase 23.06 17,958.97 Decrease 78.60 39,361 Increase 18.01
2015 312,356 Increase 11.34 122,365.78 Increase 581.36 39,400 Increase 0.10
2016 375,663 Increase 20.27 54,864.04 Decrease 55.16 44,253 Increase 12.32
2017 399,383 Increase 6.31 142,367.78 Increase 159.49 39,963 Decrease 9.69
2018 364,638 Decrease 8.70 93,388.15 Decrease 34.40 38,374 Decrease 3.98
2019 337,564 Decrease 7.42 132,617.46 Increase 42.01 37,107 Decrease 3.30
2020 136,257 Decrease 59.64 124,341.21 Decrease 6.24 27,976 Decrease 24.61
2021 132,618 Decrease 2.67 118,459.68 Decrease 4.73 26,491 Decrease 5.31
2022 199,813 Increase 50.67 87,614.58 Decrease 26.04 20,666 Decrease 21.99
2023 293,829 Increase 47.05 121,591.81 Increase 38.78 28,356 Increase 37.21
2024 342,927 Increase 16.71 123,094.18 Increase 1.24 31,705 Increase 11.81
Source: DGCA, BPS[3][32]

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
  • On 14 May 1963, a Garuda Indonesian Airways Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 3, with the registration PK-GTC crashed during takeoff. There were no fatalities.[33]
  • On 15 August 1984, an Airfast Indonesia Douglas C-47A PK-OBC crashed into a mountain near Wamena. Two of the three people on board were killed.[34]
  • On 21 April 2002, an Antonov An-72 (ES-NOP) of Estonian airline Enimex was damaged in a hard landing at Wamena Airport; a minor fire broke out. Due to the dead battery of the fire truck some firefighters ran to the accident scene with hand-held fire extinguishers. After some 20 minutes the truck's battery was charged, but the aircraft had to be written off. There were no fatalities.[35]
  • On 9 April 2009, an Aviastar BAe 146-300 PK-BRD, flew into a mountain near Wamena, after a failed second approach for landing at Wamena Airport. All six occupants died,[36]
  • On 26 September 2011, the airport was razed by fire; all buildings including the departure and arrival terminals were engulfed by fire.[37]
  • On 18 December 2016, an Indonesian Air Force C-130H Hercules flew into hills 1700 m southeast of the runway threshold while attempting to land in poor visibility, killing all 13 people on board.[38][39]
  • On 18 July 2017, a Boeing 737-300F (Freighter) (PK-YGG) of Indonesian airline Tri-MG Intra Asia Airlines sustained substantial damage after a hard landing and subsequent runway excursion. The aircraft came to a stop on rough terrain. No injuries were reported.[40]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Udara". Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Bandar Udara Wamena" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Transportation. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Statistik Transportasi Udara 2024". Statistics Indonesia. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Kabupaten Jayawijaya: Sejarah, Geografi, dan Potensi Alam Papua Pegunungan". KPU Papua Pegunungan (in Indonesian). 18 October 2021.
  5. ^ Suroto, Hari (1 November 2017). "Sejarah Penerbangan Perintis di Papua". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  6. ^ Schoorl, Pim (9 December 2024). Besturen in Nederlands-Nieuw-Guinea 1945-1962: Ontwikkelingswerk in een periode van politieke onrust (in Dutch). BRILL. p. 124. ISBN 978-90-04-64315-4.
  7. ^ "Terbang sebagai media transportasi di Nieuw-Guinea | Stichting Papua Erfgoed". www.papuaheritage.org. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  8. ^ Sumule, Dr Ir Agus (17 August 2022). MENGABDI DI BUMI CENDERAWASIH: KISAH PARA PENSIUNAN APARATUR PEMERINTAH (in Indonesian). PT. Rayyana Komunikasindo. p. 62. ISBN 978-623-5378-04-6.
  9. ^ a b c Militer, Indonesia Angkatan Darat Komando Daerah Militer XVII/Cenderawasih Sejarah (1971). Irian Barat dari masa ke masa (in Indonesian). Sedjarah Militer KODAM XVII/Tjenderawasih. p. 250.
  10. ^ a b Mimbar (in Indonesian). Departemen Dalam Negeri. 1976. p. 27.
  11. ^ a b c Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Civil Aviation Security. 1996. p. 13.
  12. ^ "Terminal Bandara Wamena Kebakaran". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 27 September 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  13. ^ a b Omona, Jerry (26 September 2011). "Bandara Wamena Ludes Terbakar". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b Praditya, Ilyas Istianur (29 December 2015). "Bandara Wamena Siap Diresmikan Presiden Jokowi". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  15. ^ Murti, Tri (29 December 2015). "Ini Fasilitas Baru di Bandara Wamena". beritasatu.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  16. ^ a b Aditiasari, Dana (31 December 2015). "Besok, Bandara Baru Wamena Mulai Beroperasi". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Jokowi Resmikan 2 Bandara Baru di Papua" (in Indonesian). Liputan6. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  18. ^ Wibawa, Hendra (21 August 2019). "Kemenhub Danai Perpanjangan Landas Pacu Bandara Wamena". Bisnis.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  19. ^ Adisubrata, Islami (29 September 2024). "Landasan Pacu Bandara Wamena Diperpanjang, Runway 15 Mulai Digarap". Jubi Papua (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  20. ^ Efendi, Yudhi (20 December 2025). "Pemprov Papua Pegunungan kerjakan perpanjangan landasan pacu Bandara Wamena 70 meter". Antara News Papua (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  21. ^ Rachman, Taufik (12 April 2016). "Parallel Taxiway Akan Dibangun di Bandara Wamena". republika.co.id (in Indonesian).
  22. ^ Gin (20 December 2025). "Sriwijaya Air Buka Rute Baru Jayapura-Wamena dan Tawarkan Diskon Spesial Nataru! - pembaruanpapua.com". pembaruanpapua.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Delapan Kabupaten di Papua Terlayani Penerbangan Perintis Bersubsidi". seputarpapua.com (in Indonesian). 16 January 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  24. ^ K., Lepianus (13 March 2026). "Trigana Air Service Siapkan Extra Flight". Papua Times (in Indonesian). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  25. ^ Laisouw, Hadija (14 November 2019). "Trigana Air Buka Rute Penerbangan Timika - Wamena". seputarpapua.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Wings Air Flight from Sentani International Airport to Wamena". airpaz.com.
  27. ^ Hisage, Ronny (31 October 2023). "Manajemen Baru, Cardig Air Kembali Mengudara di Wamena - RRI.co.id". rri.co.id - Portal berita terpercaya. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  28. ^ Siagian, Wilpret (9 September 2015). "Pesawat Jayawijaya Dirgantara Alami Kerusakan Mesin di Wamena". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  29. ^ "Jayawijaya Dirgantara Terbang Perdana Timika – Wamena". Beritalima.com (in Indonesian). 19 December 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  30. ^ Lazore (7 July 2018). "Pesawat My Indo Airlines Alami Kerusakan Mesin di Bandara Wamena". kumparan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  31. ^ Gumiwang, Ringkang (18 July 2017). "Pesawat Tri MG Asia Airlines Tergelincir di Bandara Wamena". Bisnis.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  32. ^ "Statistik Angkatan Udara 2019" (PDF). DGCA. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  33. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 3 PK-GTC, Tuesday 14 May 1963". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  34. ^ "PK-OBC Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  35. ^ Accident description AN-72 ES-NOP. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  36. ^ Hradecky, Simon (23 April 2009). "Crash: Aviastar Mandiri B463 at Wamena on Apr 9th 2009, impacted mountain on second approach". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  37. ^ "Fire razes Wamena Airport". 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  38. ^ "Indonesian Air Force Plane Crashes in Papua Killing 13". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 December 2016.
  39. ^ Accident description C-130H A-1334. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  40. ^ Hradecky, Simon (18 July 2017). "Accident: Tri-M.G B733 at Wamena on Jul 18th 2017, runway excursion on landing". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
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