Dili Airport , officially Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport ( pt, Aeroporto Internacional Presidente Nicolau Lobato, ), and formerly Comoro Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Komoro), is an
international airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
serving
Dili
Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
, the
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
of
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
. Since 2002, the airport has been named after
Nicolau dos Reis Lobato
Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (24 May 1946 – 31 December 1978) was an East Timorese politician who is considered the national hero of the country.
Biography
Lobato was born in Soibada, Portuguese Timor on 24 May 1946.
Lobato was the first prim ...
(1946–1978), an East Timorese politician and national hero.
Location
The airport is located in the ''
suco'' of , which is part of the
Dom Aleixo administrative post
Dom Aleixo, officially Dom Aleixo Administrative Post (, ), is an administrative post in Dili municipality, East Timor, at the mouth of Comoro River. Its seat or administrative centre is Comoro.
The administrative post is named after Alei ...
, in the western suburbs of Dili. It faces the
Ombai Strait
Ombai Strait ( id, Selat Ombai, pt, Estreito de Ombai, tet, Estreitu Ombai) is an international strait in Southeast Asia. It separates the Alor Archipelago from the islands of Wetar, Atauro, and Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The strai ...
to its north and west, and the
Comoro River
The Comoro River ( pt, Ribeira de Comoro or , tet, Mota Komoro) is a river in East Timor. It flows north into Ombai Strait, reaching the coast in the north western suburbs of the capital, Dili. In its lower reaches, it is the main and largest o ...
to its east.
Its runway (08/26) runs broadly east-west.
North of the airport, between the runway and Ombai Strait, is a residential zone that includes houses, a small area of agricultural land, a school, a church, and a cemetery. At the zone's northern edge is Beto Tasi Beach, a hidden stretch of shoreline known to the local community and also used for fishing.
History
1939–1975
The airport was built prior to World War II by the colonial administration of the then Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor ( pt, Timor Português) was a colonial possession of Portugal that existed between 1702 and 1975. During most of this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Dutch East Indies.
The first Europeans to arrive in the ...
. Initially, it had an runway. It also soon became an operating base for Transportes Aéreos de Timor
Transportes Aéreos de Timor () or TAT was an airline of the then colony of Portuguese Timor, headquartered in Dili. It operated between 1939 and 1975.
History
TAT was founded as the colony's national airline in July 1939, several years befo ...
(TAT), which was founded in July 1939 as the colony's national airline.
In May 1939, the Portuguese government gave permission to Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founde ...
to operate a Darwin to Dili flight. However, due to objections from the Japanese government, the Qantas services were postponed for more than a year. Eventually, in December 1940, the fortnightly Qantas Darwin to Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
service was authorised to stop in Dili. The following month, Dili replaced Kupang
Kupang ( id, Kota Kupang, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 C ensus, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 455,850. It is the largest ci ...
as the stopover for Qantas's fortnightly Darwin to Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
service. As compensation, Dai Nippon Airways of Japan was permitted to operate six trial flights from Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
to Dili between December 1940 and June 1941. In October 1941, the Japanese government announced plans to introduce regular air services between Tokyo and Dili, beginning the next month.
All of these flights were operated by flying boats, not by land-based aircraft needing to use a landing strip. At that time, Dili did not have the facilities required to handle Qantas's de Havilland D.H.86 land-based aircraft. The flying boat services have also been described as "pseudo-commercial", as they were of "negligible commercial importance", and used for "political penetration" in the lead-up to the Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
of 1941–1945. A radio room was set up in the Dili post office to communicate with the flying boats, using equipment supplied by the Australian Department of Civil Aviation.
Meanwhile, during 1940, TAT began flying a weekly land-based aircraft service between Dili and Kupang, using a de Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its rel ...
wet-leased from Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM
Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (in English: Royal Dutch Indies Airways) was the airline of the former Dutch East Indies. Headquartered in Amsterdam, KNILM was ''not'' a subsidiary of the better-known KLM (Royal Dutch A ...
), the airline of the then Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
. Those services continued, again for political reasons, even after April 1941, by which time TAT was six months behind in paying the lease fees and salaries of the pilot and mechanic.
On 17 December 1941, soon after the beginning of the Pacific War, Dutch and Australian forces landed in Dili, with the objective of occupying the neutral territory of Portuguese Timor "... to defend against Japanese aggression ..." The 2nd Australian Independent Company took control of the airport. By 17 February 1942, the Allies had changed their stance, and arrangements had been made for their forces in Dili to hand over to a reinforced Portuguese garrison. On 20 February 1942, however, an Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
(IJN) invasion force landed to the west of the airport and captured it by 11:00 am. The radio equipment at the Dili post office was later smuggled out, to the 2nd Australian Independent Company, which by then had retreated to Timor's central mountains. Subsequently, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...
(IJAAF) used the airport as a military airfield, and between June 1942 and August 1944, it was bombed by Allied aircraft.
By the end of the Pacific War, the airport was disused and overgrown. Japanese forces continued to occupy it until 11 September 1945, when the garrison at Dili officially surrendered.
In post-war Portuguese Timor, Baucau Airport
Baucau Airport ( pt, Aeroporto de Baucau, , ), formerly Cakung Airport, is an unattended and mostly unused airport near Baucau, East Timor. It is the largest airport in East Timor, and has a much longer runway than Dili's Presidente Nicolau L ...
, which was opened in 1947, and was and still is equipped with a much longer runway, became the colony's main airport, including for international flights. Dili airport was used for domestic services.
As of 1969, TAT was flying from Dili to six other places in the colony.
In 1974 and 1975, TAT operated scheduled domestic services from Dili to Atauro
Atauro ( pt, Ilha de Ataúro, Tetum and Indonesian: ''Pulau Atauro'' or ''Ata'uro''), also known as Kambing Island ( id, Pulau Kambing), is an island and municipality ( pt, Município Ataúro, links=no, tet, Munisípiu Atauro, links=no or ...
, Baucau, , Oecusse
Oecusse (also variously ''Oecussi'', ''Ocussi'', ''Oekussi'', ''Oekusi'', ''Okusi'', ''Oé-Cusse''), also known as Oecusse-Ambeno (; ) and formerly just Ambeno, officially the Special Administrative Region Oecusse-Ambeno (), is an exclave, mun ...
and Suai. The company was also flying between Dili and Kupang
Kupang ( id, Kota Kupang, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 C ensus, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 455,850. It is the largest ci ...
in West Timor
West Timor ( id, Timor Barat) is an area covering the western part of the island of Timor, except for the district of Oecussi-Ambeno (an East Timorese exclave). Administratively, West Timor is part of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The ...
, Indonesia, once a week, using a Douglas DC-3 chartered from Merpati Nusantara Airlines
PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines, operating as Merpati Nusantara Airlines, was an airline in Indonesia based in Central Jakarta, Jakarta. It operated scheduled domestic services to more than 25 destinations in Indonesia, as well as scheduled intern ...
.
1975–1999
During the Indonesian occupation after 1975, the airport at Baucau was placed under the control of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and was closed to civilian traffic, although at least nominally it remained accessible to large civilian airliners. Dili airport became the territory's principal civilian airport.
In 1978, the Indonesian administration started work on rebuilding Dili airport, which it renamed as Comoro Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Komoro, links=no). The work included the construction of a new passenger terminal building (without any custom, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) facilities), and the lengthening of the runway to accommodate Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.
Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokk ...
s. In October 1978, Indonesia's State-owned flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations.
Hist ...
, Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. A successor of KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, it is a member of SkyTeam and the second-largest airline of Indonesia after Lion Air, operat ...
, inaugurated a Jakarta–Dili–Jakarta service. The full itinerary, which, initially, was flown three times a week, was Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
– Yokyakarta– Denpasar/Bali–Dili–Kupang
Kupang ( id, Kota Kupang, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 C ensus, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 455,850. It is the largest ci ...
–Denpasar/Bali. Tickets could be sold only to passengers who had a 'letter of transit' approved by a 'proper authority'. The leg from Jakarta to Denpasar/Bali was operated by a McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas.
After ...
, and that from Denpasar/Bali to Kupang by a Fokker F28. A connecting flight from Denpasar/Bali back to Jakarta was flown by a Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is a long-range narrow-body airliner built by the American Douglas Aircraft Company.
After losing the May 1954 US Air Force tanker competition to the Boeing KC-135, Douglas announced in July ...
.
The rebuilding work at the airport was completed in 1981. As of 1983, Garuda Indonesia was operating flights between Dili and both Jakarta and Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
, using Fokker F28s. For each of those flights, the route flown was via Kupang and Denpasar/Bali. In April 1983, another Indonesian State-owned airline, Merpati, started operating a Kupang–Dili–– Covalima/Suai flight. As of 1985, that service was being flown twice a week, but it was later downgraded to one flight a week on a Dili–Covalima/Suai–Kupang routing, using an Indonesian-built CASA turboprop aircraft.
In 1992, the airport's runway was extended to , to facilitate operations by Boeing 737-200
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...
s. As of the mid 1990s, an average of 12 flights per week were being operated into the airport, by Merpati with McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and Boeing 737s, and also by Sempati Air
Sempati Air was an airline based in Indonesia. Partially owned by friends and family of President Suharto of Indonesia, the airline ceased operations due to bankruptcy after its owner Suharto's May 1998 presidential resignation. Its IATA code has s ...
, a private sector Indonesian airline, with Fokker 100
The Fokker 100 is a regional jet produced by Fokker in the Netherlands.
The Fokker 100 is based on the Fokker F28 with a fuselage stretched by to seat up to 109 passengers, up from 85.
It is powered by two newer Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, ...
s and Boeing 737s. At about that time, another Indonesian airline, Bouraq, also flew into Dili. As of May 1999, however, the only airline serving Dili and East Timor was Merpati, with just three Boeing 737 flights each week, linking Dili with Jakarta via Denpasar/Bali, and with Kupang. The airport was capable of handling passenger and Lockheed C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
aircraft, and helicopters, but its apron
An apron is a garment that is worn over other clothing to cover the front of the body. The word comes from old French ''napron'' meaning a small piece of cloth, however over time "a napron" became "an apron", through a linguistics process cal ...
was rated unsuitable for high-pressure type airframes.
In the aftermath of the referendum on East Timorese independence held on 30 August 1999, systematic violence by paramilitary groups broke out in Dili and elsewhere in East Timor. Early the following month, all flights into Dili were suspended. Under international pressure, the President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Presiden Republik Indonesia) is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government and is ...
, B. J. Habibie
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (; 25 June 1936 – 11 September 2019) was an Indonesian engineer and politician who was the third president of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999. Less than three months after his inauguration as the seventh vice preside ...
, announced on 12 September 1999 that Indonesia would withdraw its soldiers from the territory, and allow an Australian-led international peacekeeping force, INTERFET
The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) was a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia in accordance with United Nations resolutions to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took ...
, to enter.
Shortly after dawn on 20 September 1999, the INTERFET Response Force, consisting of members of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The reg ...
, New Zealand Special Air Service
The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...
and the British Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...
, began arriving at Dili airport from Darwin in five RAAF
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
and RNZAF
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeal ...
C-130Hs, to a "benign" reception by the handful of remaining Indonesian soldiers. Although by then the airport terminal departure lounge had been wrecked, the VIP lounge was one of the few buildings in Dili still intact. The airport was quickly made safe enough to allow C-130Hs from Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
, Queensland, to land with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) is an amphibious light infantry battalion of the Australian Army part of the 1st Division Amphibious Task Group based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.
2 RAR was initially formed as the A ...
(2 RAR) and two M113 armoured personnel carriers from the 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment. That day, C-130s flew 33 sorties and transported 1,500 troops to East Timor. A company of Gurkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...
s from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British Army, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unite ...
, arrived in the early hours of 21 September 1999.
The following day, 22 September 1999, INTERFET secured the airport. Responsibility for its operation passed to No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron RAAF, and No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron RAAF provided security. In late 1999, Airnorth
Capiteq Pty Limited, trading as Airnorth, is a regional airline based at Darwin International Airport in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It operates scheduled and charter services in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, Western ...
started operating thrice weekly charter flights between Darwin and Dili.
During the INTERFET operation, the United States Pacific Command
United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region.
Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, ...
(PACOM) and the US Army's Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) arranged for two Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968.
It is now produced by Russia.
In addition t ...
and two Mi-26
The Mil Mi-26 (russian: link=no, Миль Ми-26, NATO reporting name: Halo) is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter. Its product code is ''Izdeliye 90''. Operated by both military and civilian operators, it is the largest and most po ...
helicopters to be provided to East Timor together with air and maintenance crews. Operating those helicopters ashore in the upcoming monsoon season required the construction of concrete helipads at Dili airport, and East Timor lacked the facilities to produce the concrete. All the construction equipment required, along with trained operators, was therefore brought in. Between December 1999 and February 2000, the four helicopters flew 475 hours without mishap, carrying 6,400 passengers and of cargo.
2000–present
By 2000, the airport had suffered serious damage in general, due to inadequate maintenance followed by the destruction of equipment in 1999 and excessively heavy use in 1999/2000. On 28 February 2000, INTERFET handed over command of military operations to United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), ( pt, Administração Transitória das Nações Unidas em Timor Leste), was a United Nations mission in East Timor that aimed to solve the decades long East Timorese cri ...
(UNTAET), which also assumed responsibility for the administration of the territory. UNTAET then began a wide-ranging rehabilitation programme for East Timor's ports and airports, and subsequently a longer-term sustainable development programme.
On 25 January 2000, Airnorth switched to regular commercial services between Darwin and Dili, with eleven return flights a week. Later that year, Merpati resumed flights to Dili from Kupang and Denpasar/Bali, and Qantas subsidiary Airlink
Airlink is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its main business is to provide services between smaller, under-served towns and larger hub airports. It has since expanded to offer flights on larger, mainline routes. The airline h ...
began regular flights. By the end of 2000, the airport was again fully operational.
When East Timor became independent in 2002, control of the airport was handed over to the new government of East Timor, and the airport was also renamed, after Nicolau dos Reis Lobato
Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (24 May 1946 – 31 December 1978) was an East Timorese politician who is considered the national hero of the country.
Biography
Lobato was born in Soibada, Portuguese Timor on 24 May 1946.
Lobato was the first prim ...
, an East Timorese politician and national hero. In March 2005, East Timor's first post-independence commercial airline, Kakoak, launched its inaugural flight, a twice weekly service from Dili to Kupang. It was operated using a CASA C-212 Aviocar
The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators.
The C-212 w ...
chartered from Merpati.
In May 2006, the airport was temporarily placed under the control of the Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
for the purposes of Operation Astute
Operation Astute was an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It was headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier Micha ...
.
Between 2006 and 2018, annual aircraft movements and passenger volume at Dili steadily increased, from about 3,000 and 50,000, respectively, in 2006 to about 8,000 and 275,000, respectively, in 2018. More than 90% of the passenger volume was international movements.
Cargo tonnage at the airport increased from around 280 tons in 2006 to around 400 tons in 2012. From the latter year, however, following the cessation of the UN Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT), and the closure of Merpati's Dili operations, the tonnage dropped to around 250 tons annually through to 2018.
Dili's airport runway has generally been unable to accommodate aircraft larger than the Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body, commercial passenger Twinjet, twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a ...
, Boeing 737-400
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
, Boeing 737-900ER
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
or C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
. In January 2008, however, the Portuguese charter airline EuroAtlantic Airways
EuroAtlantic Airways, legally ''EuroAtlantic Airways – Transportes Aéreos S.A.'', is a Portuguese airline specialized in leasing and air charter headquartered in Sintra and based at Lisbon Airport.
History
Founded as Air Zarco on 23 August ...
operated a direct flight from Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
using a Boeing 757-200
The Boeing 757 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the Boeing 727, 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978.
...
, carrying 140 members of the Guarda Nacional Republicana
The National Republican Guard ( pt, Guarda Nacional Republicana) or GNR is the national gendarmerie force of Portugal.
Members of the GNR are military personnel, subject to military law and organisation, unlike the agents of the civilian Publi ...
. As of mid 2011, commercial traffic at the airport included a daily and a twice-weekly flight to Denpasar/Bali, a flight to Darwin 5 days per week, and a thrice-weekly flight to Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. The airport was also being used by the United Nations, the military, and helicopters servicing the petroleum industry.
During the 2010s, the number of aircraft movements to and from Darwin and Singapore were generally steady, but movements between Dili and Denpasar/Bali greatly increased after 2013.
In 2011, the runway underwent rehabilitation, including by the application of an overlay to upgrade its Pavement Classification Number (PCN), and increase its Landing Distance Available (LDA) from to . However, a 2013 analysis indicated that the restricted length and width of the runway prevented narrow-body aircraft
A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than in width.
In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with m ...
from operating at maximum takeoff weight
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot is allowed to attempt to take off, due to structural or other limits. The analogous ...
, and that it had no safe area as required by international standards. Further airside
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
problems were that damage to the perimeter fencing caused a potential risk to aircraft from wildlife strike during takeoff and landing, the main apron had limited capacity and was in poor condition, and an absence of lighting prevented night operation. Additionally, the airport had an inadequate terminal and no separate facility for cargo handling.
On 13 December 2016, the airport was flooded for several hours because the drainage system was unable to drain water from , in . The following day, the Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
, Rui Maria de Araújo
Rui Maria de Araújo (born 21 May 1964) is an East Timorese politician who served as its prime minister from 2015 to 2017. He is a physician and member of Fretilin.
He was Minister of Health from 2001 to 2006 and Deputy Prime Minister from 20 ...
, visited the site and expressed the government's regret for the flooding and consequent disruption to passengers and staff. He also said that the drainage system had been ineffective "due to accumulated waste".
, there were twice daily scheduled small jetliner flights between Dili and Denpasar/Bali, and on weekdays from and to Darwin, with daily Darwin flights on weekends. Flights between Dili and Singapore had been suspended. Smaller aircraft, such as a DHC-6, were operating domestic services to Same, Atauro, Baucau, Fuiloro, Oecusse, and Suai. Helicopters were flying to Bau Undane, where there was an oil field, and a chartered service was being flown between Dili and Denpasar/Bali.
In April 2020, EuroAtlantic Airways operated a COVID-19 repatriation flight between Lisbon and Dili using a Boeing 767-300ER
The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...
. Similar charter flights were operated in September and December 2020, and in March, July, September and December 2021. During 2022, the company flew and scheduled further charter services, and was said to want to continue to operate, and even reinforce, its Lisbon–Dili connection.
Facilities
, the airport's facilities included a passenger terminal building divided into three sections (arrival, departure and VIP), one runway, and four exit taxiways.
Future developments
The Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan 2011-2013 proposed an expansion and improvement of the airport. A particular goal was the lengthening of the runway to accept large-size ICAO Code E aircraft such as the Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed and produced by Airbus.
Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner in the mid-1970s. Then the company began development on the A330 twinjet in parallel with the A340 ...
. The 2013 analysis of the airport proposed an airport development plan, including:
* the extension and expansion of the runway from to ;
* the preparation of a runway end safety area (RESA) and expansion of the runway strip to each side;
* an overlay of the apron;
* an upgrade of the lighting system to allow night operations; and
* the construction of a new passenger terminal.
Also in 2013, the International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of t ...
(IFC) issued a project brief on behalf of the government of East Timor presenting a proposal for the development and operation of the airport under a public–private partnership
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Review, Public Administ ...
as a business opportunity. Two years later, in 2015, the IFC revised the proposal, after studying the traffic forecast, possible runway developments, and the landside
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
area, including the terminal building. In particular, the IFC formulated two options for development of the runway.
By contrast, a report on aviation in East Timor published in 2017 by The Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to "improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia". The Asia Foundation (TAF) was established in 1954 to undertake cultural and educational activities on be ...
noted that the then current airport facilities at Dili satisfied minimum standards for operating international flights. According to that report, the limited width of the runway was more important than its limited length, because East Timor is very windy, and sidewinds hit aircraft when they are landing. The then current capacity of the airport's facilities was definitely sufficient for passenger load and demand for at least the next two decades. The airport could already support A320 and B737-500 aircraft which had a capacity of over 100 passengers each, and were within range of all major Asian hub airports. In the event of increased demand, there were cost-effective alterations available to increase passenger capacity.
In 2018, similar comments were made in another report, focusing on the national tourism industry and also published by The Asia Foundation.
The same year, however, the governments of East Timor and Japan began discussions over a planned redevelopment of the airport, including improvements to the passenger terminal, control tower and roadworks. By late 2019, the Japan International Cooperation Agency
The is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries, and the promotion of international co ...
(JICA), was supporting the plan, and the government of Japan had approved it. In October 2019, the government of East Timor approved a Dili Airport Master Plan presented by IFC, and in October 2021 the two governments signed an exchange of notes confirming a grant of approximately from Japan for the construction of a two-storey passenger terminal building of based on the projected number of airport passengers as of 2030, and an accompanying power station. The total amount of Japanese assistance for the project, including for additional preparation works, would be more than .
Meanwhile, in November 2019 a report commissioned by the Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field office ...
(ADB) on the upgrading of the runway considered a number of options, and recommended two alternatives, involving either an extension to the east, or extensions in both directions. However, the report also noted that the government had already chosen one of the other two options, namely a 2,500 m-long runway involving an extension only to the west, and including reclamation from Ombai Strait. In September 2021, East Timor took out a million loan from the ADB to lengthen the runway, add new airside infrastructure and construct a new ATC tower.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Statistics
Accidents and incidents
* On 16 August 1983, Fretilin
The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor ( pt, Frente Revolucionária de Timor-Leste Independente, abbreviated as Fretilin) is a centre-left political party in East Timor. They presently hold 23 of 65 seats in the National Parliam ...
guerrillas attacked the military section of the airport, killing 18 Indonesian soldiers. In response, and as part of a larger military offensive, Indonesian forces carried out several large massacres: of 200-300 civilians near the town of Viqueque, and at least 500 civilians in villages near Mount Bibileu.
See also
* Civil Aviation Division of East Timor
* List of airports in East Timor
* Transport in East Timor
In East Timor, transportation is reduced due to the nation's poverty, poor transportation infrastructure, and sparse communications networks.
There are no railways in the country. The general condition of the roads is inadequate, and telephone ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{authority control
Airports in East Timor
Buildings and structures in Dili