Momote Airport
IATA: MAS – ICAO: AYMO + Momote Airport Location of airport in Papua New Guinea
Summary
Airport type		Public
Location		Los Negros Island, Papua New Guinea
Elevation AMSL		12 ft / 4 m
Coordinates		02°03′43″S 147°25′27″E / 2.06194°S 147.42417°E / -2.06194; 147.42417
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
16/34	1,870	6,136	Asphalt
Source: DAFIF

Momote Airport (IATA: MAS, ICAO: AYMO) is an airport on Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea. It also serves Manus Island, which is connected to Los Negros by a bridge.

History

Hayne Airfield

Built by the Imperial Japanese at Momote during World War II. Known as Hyane Airfield by the Japanese, as they called Los Negros, Hayne Island. The runway was 4,100 feet (1,200 m) long x 300 feet (91 m) wide with three taxiways and 12 revetments under construction.

Occupied on 2 March 1944 by the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division as part of the Battle of Los Negros, which was part of the Admiralty Islands campaign.

Japanese Units based at Hayne Airfield

• 63rd Sentai, 3rd Chutai (Ki-43)
• 14th Sentai (Ki-21)

Momote Airfield

After liberating the airfield on 2 March 1944, the 40th Naval Construction Battalion repaired the airfield and the airfield became operational on 18 May 1944, although fighters were landing at the airfield only two days after occupation. The single runway was extended to 7,800 feet (2,400 m) long x 130 feet (40 m) wide with 75 feet (23 m) foot shoulders, constructed with a coral base with marsden matting covering 1,000 feet (300 m) at the ends of the runway. A 7,000 barrel fuel depot was set up at the airfield.

Allied Units Based at Momote Airfield

• Headquarters, Thirteenth Air Force, (15 June-13 September 1944)
• Headquarters, XIII Bomber Command, (June-3 September 1944)
• 5th Bomb Group Headquarters
  • 5th Bomb Group, 72nd Bomb Squadron (B-24s)
  • 5th Bomb Group, 23rd Bomb Squadron (B-24s)
  • 5th Bomb Group, 31st Bomb Squadron (B-24s)
  • 5th Bomb Group, 394th Bomb Squadron (B-24s)
• 307th Bombardment Group, (13th AF) (29 April-24 August 1944)
• 403d Troop Carrier Group, (13th AF) 30 August-4 October 1944
• Detachment, 419th Night Fighter Squadron, (13th AF) (27 June-18 August 1944)

• No. 19 Squadron RNZAF (F4Us)
• No. 73 Wing RAAF
  • No. 76 Squadron RAAF (Kittyhawks)
  • No. 77 Squadron RAAF (Kittyhawks)
  • No. 79 Squadron RAAF (Spitfires)
• No. 27 Air Stores Park RAAF
• No. 114 (Mobile) Fighter Sector Headquarters RAAF
• No. 346 Radar Station RAAF

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 12 feet (4 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 16/34 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,870 by 45 metres (6,135 × 148 ft).

Airlines and destinations

• Air Niugini (Kavieng, Lae, Port Moresby)

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
We don't guarantee the information is fresh and accurate. The data may be wrong or outdated.
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