El Tari Airport

El Tari Airport (IATA: KOE, ICAO: WATT) — formerly Penfui Airport — is an airport in Kupang on the island of Timor in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The airport is named after Elias "El" Tari (1926-1978), an Indonesian Army officer from Savu who also served as the governor of East Nusa Tenggara from 1966 to 1978. The airport's ICAO code was changed from WRKK to WATT in 2004. As of December 2018, there were at least 258 outbound flights per week from the airport. The airport serves as the main gateway to West Timor and East Nusa Tenggara, offering flights to major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya, as well as inter-provincial routes within East Nusa Tenggara. The airport previously also operated international flights to Dili in East Timor and Darwin in Australia. In addition to serving civilian flights, the airport also functions as a Type A military airbase for the Indonesian Air Force and also as a base for the Indonesian Navy's Naval Aviation Center (Puspenerbal). Its strategic location near the Australian and East Timorese borders makes it a crucial military asset. Plans are underway to establish new squadrons of combat aircraft for the Indonesian Air Force, which will be headquartered in Kupang to enhance border security. History Construction and early history The airport has been in operation since 1928, during the Dutch colonial period. At that time, an aircraft piloted by American aviator Lamij Johnson became the first to land at the airfield, making a transit stop before continuing on to Australia. The airport was originally named Penfui Airfield. The word Penfui itself means "corn forest," derived from the Timorese words "pena" meaning "corn" and "fui" meaning "forest." The name reflected the area surrounding the airfield at the time, which was largely planted with corn. Between 1939 and 1941, the airfield was upgraded and developed by Australian forces in anticipation of a potential Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies. Its strategic proximity to Australia made it a valuable asset to the Allied forces during World War II. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a small Australian force known as Sparrow Force arrived at Kupang on 12 December 1941 and was deployed at Penfui Airfield. The airfield also became a vital link between Australia and American forces fighting in the Philippines under Douglas MacArthur. Penfui was attacked by Japanese aircraft on 26 and 30 January 1942; however, the raids were hindered by British anti aircraft defenses and, to a lesser extent, by Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters of the 33rd Pursuit Squadron, eleven of which were based in Darwin. On 19 February 1942, Japanese forces landed at Kupang, marking the beginning of the Battle of Timor with the objective of capturing Penfui Airfield. Five Type 94 tankettes were deployed to support the advancing infantry, which moved north, cutting off Dutch positions in the west and attacking the 2/40th Battalion at Penfui. Sparrow Force was ordered to destroy the airfield to prevent it from falling into Japanese hands; however, the order was not carried out, and the troops instead abandoned the airfield and withdrew to Camplong. The Japanese subsequently captured Penfui intact, quickly repaired it, and brought it into operation to support their war effort. Within days of its capture, Penfui Airfield was converted into a naval air base for the 3rd Naval Air Squadron of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS). The Japanese recognized that the airfield had previously served as a key transit point on the route between Java and Australia—initially for reinforcing Allied forces in Java, and later for evacuating personnel to Australia. Throughout the war, the Japanese used the airfield to launch air raids against northern Australia, including the major attack on Broome on 3 March 1942, which involved nine Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters and a Mitsubishi C5M2 reconnaissance aircraft. Allied forces sought to curb Japanese air raids on Australia by repeatedly targeting Penfui Airfield. One notable strike occurred on 2 December, when No. 31 Squadron RAAF conducted a raid that destroyed 18 Japanese aircraft without suffering any losses. The Japanese remained at the airfield until 11 September 1945, when the entire Japanese garrison in Timor surrendered to Australian forces stationed there. Control of the airfield was subsequently returned to the Dutch authorities. Contemporary history Following the Round Table Conference in 1949, Penfui Airfield was officially handed over by the Dutch military to the Government of Indonesia on May 6, 1950. With growing demand for air travel in the 1960s, the airfield began accommodating Garuda Indonesia's DC-3 aircraft. At that time, flight operations and air traffic management were overseen by the Indonesian Air Force, as a dedicated civil aviation authority had not yet been established. During the buildup to Operation Seroja—the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in December 1975—Penfui Airfield served as a forward base for the Indonesian Air Force, supporting preparations for the airborne assault. Indonesian paratroopers were stationed at the airfield before being deployed to the front lines. In 1988, the airport was officially renamed to its current name, in honor of Elias Tari, the second governor of East Nusa Tenggara, who served from 1966 to 1978. Management of the airport was later transferred to Angkasa Pura I in 1999, later rebranded as InJourney Airports. The airport once served international flights to neighboring countries such as Dili in East Timor and Darwin in Australia. However, the route to Darwin was discontinued in 2008. On April 2, 2024, the Ministry of Transportation revoked the airport's international status due to the absence of active international flights. The East Nusa Tenggara government has made efforts to reactivate the Kupang-Darwin route, though these efforts have yet to come to fruition. In 2025, Ministry of Transportation of Indonesia officially reinstated the international status of the airport. In the same year, the airport announced Wings Air will serve international routes from Kupang to Dili, East Timor and was scheduled to operate in March 2026 by using ATR-72-600 aircraft which marks the resumption of international flight from Kupang airport. Facilities and development A major expansion of the airport was completed in 2020 at a cost of approximately 17 billion Rupiah. The project included the construction of a new terminal, an expanded apron, as well as improvements to the runway and lighting. Following the expansion, the airport now features a terminal spanning 16,424 m², with a capacity to handle up to 2 million passengers annually. The apron, covering 58,469 m², can accommodate up to 17 narrow-bodied aircraft. Previously, the old terminal had an annual capacity of just 1.3 million passengers, while the old apron, covering only 42,525 m², could accommodate just 12 narrow-bodied aircraft. Additionally, the airport is equipped with 2 jet bridges, 4 conveyor belts, 20 check-in counters, and offers parking for up to 508 cars and 236 motorcycles. El Tari Airport currently has very limited room for further expansion, as much of the surrounding land is owned by the Indonesian Air Force, with which it shares air traffic. As a result, proposals have been put forward to build a new, larger international airport in Kupang to replace El Tari Airport. One proposed site is Oebelo in Central Kupang District, Kupang Regency, approximately 25 km from the city center. Airlines and destinations Passenger Notes: Statistics Accidents and incidents On 27 November 2009, Batavia Air Flight 711, operated by a Boeing 737-400 made an emergency landing after a problem was discovered with the landing gear. The crew and passengers on board remained unhurt. On 2 December 2009, Merpati Nusantara Airlines Fokker 100 PK-MJD made an emergency landing when the left main gear failed to extend. There were no injuries among the passengers and crew on board. On 10 June 2013, Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 6517, a Xian MA60 operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines suffered a structural failure and crashed on the runway after a hard landing. No one was killed in the crash, but 25 people were injured. 5, including the Captain, was seriously injured. An investigation by the NTSC found that the pilot moved the throttle to the way back, causing the aircraft to lose lift. The crash was the second hull loss of a Xi'an MA60 operated by Merpati. On 21 December 2015 a Kalstar Aviation Embraer ERJ-195 PK-KDC operating a flight from Ende to Surabaya via Kupang overshot the runway at El Tari Airport in Kupang. References External links "Airport information for WATT / KOE" – via Great Circle Mapper. Accident history for WATT / KOE at Aviation Safety Network