🇹🇱 Rota Do Sândalo Oecusse Airport

Rota do Sândalo Oecusse International Airport (OEC, WPOC) is an international airport serving Pante Macassar, the capital of the Oecusse Special Administrative Region of Timor-Leste.

Type of facility and operations: The airport is designed to handle unrestricted operations of Airbus A320 or Boeing 737-800 aircraft, day and night. It currently facilitates domestic flights, with Aero Dili operating two weekly flights to and from Dili. While international flights are not regular, they can be permitted by AACTL. The airport also has the capacity to process immigration and goods, including live animals, upon request. It has facilities for cargo and live animal processing, including quarantine services.

Notable features or history: The airport, formerly known as Palaban Airport, has a history of air services dating back to 1967 with Transportes Aéreos de Timor (TAT) operating flights between Baucau and Oecusse, and later scheduled domestic services from Dili. In the mid-1990s, Merpati Nusantara Airlines also flew into Oecusse.

Prior to its redevelopment in the 2010s, the airport site was an abandoned airfield with an unpaved runway and no terminal or control tower. Between 2015 and 2018, a new international airport was constructed at a cost of US$119 million. The redevelopment included the construction of an air traffic control (ATC) tower, a terminal building, quarantine facilities, a fuel depot, and upgrades to radar, navigation, and safety systems to international standards. The runway was also widened and lengthened to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) long and 45 m (148 ft) wide, with a parking area for seven aircraft. The redeveloped airport was inaugurated on June 18, 2019. It complies with applicable ICAO and IATA international standards for safety, security, and comfort.

Current status: The airport is currently used for domestic flights, with Aero Dili providing two weekly services to Dili. While it is designed to international standards and can handle large aircraft, international flights are not regular but can be authorized. As of March 2026, the airport's director noted that it still faces challenges with certification and underutilization of some facilities, such as a fuel depot, due to budgetary constraints and the need for authorization from the Civil Aviation of Timor-Leste (ACTL). The government recognizes the airport as an important state asset and aims to further develop it to generate revenue.

*Sources researched: lca.logcluster.org, en.wikipedia.org, centreforaviation.com, timorpost.com*