🇹🇱 Suai Airport

Suai Airport (IATA: UAI, ICAO: WPDB), also known as Xanana Gusmão International Airport or Covalima Airport, is a public airport serving Suai, Cova Lima Municipality, Timor-Leste,,. It is located 4 km east of Suai,.

Notable Features and History:

• The airport has a history of domestic services dating back to 1974-1975 with Transportes Aéreos de Timor (TAT). Merpati Nusantara Airlines also operated flights to Suai from the 1980s through the late 1990s.
• During the INTERFET peacemaking operation, the runway was upgraded to support C-130 Hercules aircraft.
• A significant upgrade, costing US$86.7 million, was completed in 2017, bringing the airport to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards,. It was officially inaugurated on June 20, 2017, and named in honor of Xanana Gusmão.
• The upgraded facilities include a 1,500 m (4,900 ft) runway, a terminal building, a control tower, a fire station, a meteorological station, and a helipad with medevac air ambulance capability. The runway is asphalt, 1,500m long and 30m wide.
• The airport hosted its first international arrival, a charter flight from Darwin, Australia, in September 2018.

Current Status:

• The airport is designed for light aircraft and helicopters, primarily facilitating the petro-industry and MEDEVAC.
• As of 2019, the airport was barely being used, with usually no more than one flight a day. Traffic remains very low.
• Operating hours are generally from sunrise to sunset (SR-SS). The terminal building is open from 08:00-17:00.
• There are currently no navigation charges, only an airport tax of US$2 per passenger, though navigation charges are planned for 2026.
• Fuel services are available on an ad hoc request basis, as Timor Gap has a fuel depot but does not provide regular fueling services.
• The runway cannot accommodate cargo aircraft, and there are no regular cargo services or storage facilities.
• Security is limited; the airport is not fully fenced, and there is no 24-hour security detail, posing a risk of animals on the runway.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, lca.logcluster.org, airports-worldwide.com, skyvector.com, airportguide.com*