Wamena Airport

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]

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]

• 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]