Suai Airport

The airport is located {{cvt|4|km}} east of Suai, in the southwestern corner of the suco of {{ill|Labarai|de}}, which is part of the Suai administrative post.{{cite book |title=Município Covalima: Esboços Mapa Suco no Aldeia Timor-Leste |date=2019 |publisher=Ministério das Finanças / Direcção Geral de Estatística / Direcção Nacional Cartografia Estatísticas |location=Dili |page=40 |url=https://www.statistics.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Covalima_Aldeia_AtlasCont-x-8.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117114806/https://www.statistics.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Covalima_Aldeia_AtlasCont-x-8.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2020 |language=tet}} The airport's runway (16/34) is oriented broadly north–south.

As of 1974 and 1975, Transportes Aéreos de Timor (TAT), the national airline of the then Portuguese Timor, was operating scheduled domestic services from Dili to Covalima/Suai.{{cite journal |last1=Stroud |first1=Michael |title=World airline directory |journal=Flight International |date=21 March 1974 |volume=105 |issue=3393 |pages=1, at 58 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200486.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407223227/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200486.html |archive-date=7 April 2014 |accessdate=13 February 2022}}{{cite journal |last1=Stroud |first1=Michael |title=World airline directory |journal=Flight International |date=20 March 1975 |volume=108 |issue=3445 |pages=459, at 507 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1975/1975%20-%200569.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102014622/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1975/1975%20-%200569.html |archive-date=2 November 2018 |accessdate=1 November 2018}}

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In April 1983, an Indonesian State-owned airline, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, started operating a Kupang–Dili–{{ill|Maliana Airport|id|Bandar Udara Maliana|lt=Maliana}}–Covalima/Suai flight.{{cite journal |title=East Timor Now: A Report of the Development Progress |journal=Focus on Indonesia |date=Winter 1985 |pages=13–21, at 16 |url={{GBurl|jctHhRkWyYUC}} |access-date=16 February 2022}} In 1985, that service was being flown twice a week. As of the mid-1990s, Merpati was still flying into Covalima/Suai,{{cite book |title=Duapuluh Tahun Timor Timur Membangun = Twenty Years of Development in East Timor |date=February 1996 |publisher=Korps Pegawai Republik Indonesia Propinsi Timor Timur = Indonesian Civil Servants Corps East Timor Province |location=Dili |oclc=68543593 |url={{GBurl|s9PsAAAAMAAJ|page=221}} |page=221 |language=id,en}} and in mid 1999, Merpati was operating one flight a week on a Dili–Covalima/Suai–Kupang routing, using an Indonesian-built CASA turboprop aircraft.{{cite report |last1=Pedersen |first1=Jon |last2=Arneberg |first2=Marie |date=1999 |title=Social and Economic Conditions in East Timor |url=https://fafo.no/images/pub/1999/929.pdf |location=New York |publisher=International Conflict Resolution Program School of International and Public Affairs Columbia University / Oslo: Fafo Institute of Applied Social Science |access-date=21 June 2022}}{{rp|129–130}}

When the Indonesian occupation of East Timor came to an end later that year, the runway at Suai was still only very short.{{rp|130}} During the ensuing INTERFET peacemaking operation, the 17th Construction Squadron of the Australian Army upgraded the airport to support all-weather operations by Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The runway was extended by {{convert|150|m}}, and a turning node added. Hard stands were provided, along with accommodation, workshops and five helipads.{{cite book|last=Tyquin |first=Michael |title=Highlands to Deserts |year=2018 |location=Sydney |publisher=Big Sky Publishing |isbn=978-1-925675-07-8 |oclc=1079394171}}{{rp|101–103}}

At around that time, the terminal was remodelled and fitted with air conditioning.{{cite report |date=April 2002 |title=District Profile Covalima |url=http://www.estatal.gov.tl/Documents/District_Development_Plans_and_Profiles/Covalima/Covalima_District_Profile_eng.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014173145/http://www.estatal.gov.tl/Documents/District%20Development%20Plans%20and%20Profiles/Covalima/Covalima%20District%20Profile_eng.pdf |archive-date=14 October 2013 |publisher= |page=10 |access-date=26 February 2022}}

In the lead-up to the airport's upgrading in the mid-2010s, its runway was an 'all weather' asphalt strip {{cvt|1053|m}} long and {{cvt|19.3|m}} wide that could accommodate aircraft as large as a C-130. In general, the airport was for day time use only, but helicopter operations could be supported at night.

Timor-Leste's national Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030 identified a need to extend and refurbish the runway and build new modern facilities.

After a significant upgrading, the airport in its present form was officially inaugurated on 20 June 2017, and named in honour of East Timorese resistance leader and statesman Xanana Gusmão.{{cite web |title=South Coast has now an international airport |url=http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=18482&lang=en&lang=en |website=Government of Timor-Leste |access-date=21 February 2022 |date=2017-06-21}}{{cite web |author1= |title=VIPs and Medevacs (Timor Leste) |url=https://maf.org.au/latest-news/vips-and-medevacs-timor-leste/ |website=MAF Australia |access-date=2 April 2023}} The facilities added during the upgrading included a new sealed runway, a terminal building, a control tower, hangars for five large helicopters and fire fighting equipment. The Indonesian State-owned enterprise PT Waskita Karya carried out the upgrading, at a total cost of {{USD|86.7 million}}.{{cite web |title=Suai Supply Base |url=http://laohamutuk.org/Oil/TasiMane/13SSBen.htm#airtender |website=laohamutuk.org}}

On 28 September 2018, the airport hosted its first international arrival, a charter flight from Darwin, Australia, operated by Northern Oil & Gas Australia (NOGA).{{cite web |title=First international flight at Suai Airport |url=http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=20598&lang=en&n=1 |website=Government of Timor-Leste |access-date=21 February 2022 |date=28 September 2018}}

{{As of|2019}}, the airport was barely being used,{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Jason |title=A $12 Billion Gas Project Could Make or Break This Young Nation |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-28/timor-leste-gas-development-in-middle-of-u-s-china-competition |website=Bloomberg.com |access-date=16 June 2022 |language=en |date=29 August 2019}} and usually had no more than one flight a day.{{cite news |last1=Barker |first1=Anne |last2=Barnett |first2=Michael |title=Oil and gas is Timor-Leste's ticket to prosperity. Is this impoverished nation blowing its one chance? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-22/timor-leste-builds-giant-infrastructure-to-process-gas-onshore/11318924 |access-date=24 June 2022 |work=ABC News |date=21 July 2019 |language=en-AU}}

As upgraded, the airport has modern facilities complying with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the safe operation of airplanes, light aircraft and helicopters. The facilities include a {{cvt|1500|m}} runway, a terminal building, a control tower, a fire station, a meteorological station and a helipad with medevac air ambulance capability.

• List of airports in Timor-Leste
• Transport in Timor-Leste

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• {{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Hamish |author1-link=Hamish McDonald |title=Sun is setting on Timor-Leste’s pipe dream |url=https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/sun-is-setting-on-timor-lestes-pipe-dream/ |access-date=22 February 2022 |work=Asia Times |date=5 October 2020}}
• {{cite web |title=Goal: Tasi Mane petroleum project Objective: Suai airport rehabilitation Target: G020301 - Suai Airport Rehabilitation |url=http://www.governmentresults.gov.tl/publicGoals/showDetails/25 |website=Timor-Leste Government Results Portal |access-date=21 February 2022}}
• {{cite web |title=Suai Supply Base and airport as a part of Tasi Mane Project (TMP), Timor-Leste |url=https://ejatlas.org/conflict/suai-supply-base |website=Environmental Justice Atlas |access-date=21 February 2022}}

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{{commons category-inline|Aeroporto Comandante-em Chefe Estado das FALINTIL Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão|Suai Airport}}

• {{ASN|UAI}}
• [https://finance.detik.com/foto-bisnis/d-3658162/foto-keren-bumn-ri-ini-sulap-bandara-di-timor-leste-jadi-megah/2 Foto: Keren, BUMN RI Ini Sulap Bandara di Timor Leste Jadi Megah] – article {{inlang|id}} with photographs of the airport

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{{Airports in Timor-Leste}}

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Category:Airports in Timor-Leste

Category:Cova Lima Municipality