🇵🇬 Aiyura Airport

Aiyura Airport (AYU/AYAY) is a small airstrip located in the Aiyura Valley, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. It does not offer scheduled commercial service.

This facility primarily serves regional aviation needs in the highlands, providing support for missionary and community development flights. It functions as the main airfield and primary base for Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Aviation, which utilizes fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for passenger charters, cargo transport, medevac services, and access to remote areas.

The airport features a single, unpaved runway, designated 14/32, with a length of 1,280 meters (4,199 feet). It has an elevation between 5,100 and 5,355 feet above mean sea level. The runway also has a 2° downhill slope, and precautions are advised for turbulence during landings and takeoffs.

Aiyura Airport holds historical significance, having been constructed before World War II by the Australian colonial administration. During the Pacific War in 1942, it was the site of incidents involving a forced-landed U.S. B-25C Mitchell bomber and subsequent rescue attempts by A-24 Dive Bombers, some of which resulted in crashes. The wreckage from these wartime events remained on-site until the early 1960s.