Pattimura Airport

Pattimura Airport Bandar Udara Pattimura
IATA: AMQ ICAO: WAPP WMO: 97724
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner	Government of Indonesia
Operator	InJourney Airports
Serves	Ambon
Location	Laha, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
Opened	1939 (1939)
Time zone	WIT (UTC+09:00)
Elevation AMSL	33 ft / 10 m
Coordinates	03°42′36.95″S 128°05′20.89″E
Website	www.pattimura-airport.co.id
Map
AMQ/WAPP Location of airport in Maluku / Indonesia AMQ/WAPP AMQ/WAPP (Maluku) AMQ/WAPP AMQ/WAPP (Indonesia)
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 2,500 8,202 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers 757,203 ( 23.6%) Cargo (tonnes) 6,782 ( 11.3%) Aircraft movements 9,338 ( 27.4%)
Source: DGCA

Pattimura Airport (IATA: AMQ, ICAO: WAPP), formerly known as Laha Airport, is a domestic airport serving Ambon, the capital and largest city of Maluku Province, Indonesia. Located 38 kilometers (23.6 miles) west of Ambon’s city center, the airport is named after Thomas Matulessy, an Indonesian national hero from Maluku who is more widely known as Pattimura. He led the resistance against Dutch colonial forces in the 19th century. Pattimura Airport serves as the primary gateway to Ambon and the Maluku Islands, offering regular flights to major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar, as well as regional destinations within Maluku. The airport previously operated international flights to Darwin, Australia, but these were discontinued, and its international status was officially revoked in 2024.

In addition to its role as a commercial airport, Pattimura Airport also hosts Pattimura Air Force Base, a Type B installation of the Indonesian Air Force. The airbase is situated southeast of the passenger terminal, across the runway.

History

World War II

The airport was originally established by the Dutch colonial government in 1939 and was then known as Laha Airfield. It served as a military airbase for the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL). Although located in a remote region, the Dutch recognized the strategic importance of the airfield as a key defensive position in anticipation of a potential Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies during the Pacific Theatre in World War II. In 1941, they reinforced the airfield by deploying additional Royal Netherlands East Indies Army troops from Java. The Australian government also acknowledged the airfield’s strategic significance, as its capture would allow the Japanese to launch air raids on the Australian mainland. As a result, Australia dispatched forces to assist in the airbase’s defense. Prior to the Japanese landing at Ambon in 1942, Laha Airfield was defended by two companies of the Australian 2/21st Battalion alongside approximately 300 Dutch troops. The defensive force was supported by Dutch artillery, which included four 75 mm field guns, four 37 mm anti-tank guns, four 75 mm anti-aircraft guns, four 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as an anti-aircraft machine gun platoon and battery. The Allies had limited air resources to allocate. The ML-KNIL deployed No. 2 Flight, Group IV (2-Vl. G.IV) from Java to Laha, but of the four Brewster F2A Buffalo aircraft originally assigned, two were lost in crashes en route to Ambon. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) contributed two flights comprising a total of 12 Lockheed Hudson Mk II light bombers from No. 13 and No. 2 Squadrons. One flight was stationed at Laha, while the other was deployed to Namlea on the neighboring island of Buru.

Japanese troops landed on Ambon on 30 January 1942, and the first ground assault on Laha Airfield took place the next day. An Australian platoon positioned northeast of the airfield came under attack from a larger Japanese force but successfully repelled the assault. Meanwhile, Japanese reinforcements arrived, and a sustained offensive against the Allied defenders began, involving naval artillery, dive bombers, fighter aircraft, and infantry probing attacks. A Japanese night assault through tall grass near the beach—between two Allied positions—was also driven back by an Australian platoon. However, at dawn on 2 February, the Japanese launched a major offensive. By 10:00 a.m., only around 150 Australian troops and several KNIL personnel remained combat-effective at Laha. They surrendered shortly thereafter.

After the capture of Laha Airfield, Japanese forces executed more than 300 Australian and Dutch prisoners of war who had surrendered there. Personnel from the Imperial Japanese Navy selected the prisoners at random and carried out summary executions in four separate massacres around the airfield. The victims were bayoneted, clubbed to death, or beheaded—none survived. Following the war, 93 Japanese personnel were tried by an Australian military tribunal in Ambon for war crimes related to the Laha massacres. Several were convicted and executed.

The base was extensively used by Japanese forces throughout the occupation to support their military operations. Aircraft stationed at Ambon participated in the major air raids on Darwin, Australia, on 19 February 1942.

Independence era

After Indonesia declared independence, the airport was taken over by the Indonesian Air Force and continued to function as a military airbase. During the Permesta rebellion in the 1950s, the airbase was targeted and bombed multiple times by the Permesta Air Force (AUREV), which received covert support from the United States. Several Indonesian Air Force aircraft were damaged during the bombing raids. Among those involved in the attacks was Allen Lawrence Pope, an American CIA pilot who flew missions for AUREV. On May 18, 1958, Pope’s Douglas A-26 Invader was shot down over Ambon by an Indonesian Air Force P-51 Mustang after he bombed the airfield. His capture and the discovery of American involvement in the rebellion marked a turning point in the conflict.

In August 1, 1962, when the Indonesian government created a unit responsible for overseeing the civil aviation maintenance and operations of airports for civilian air transport. Despite this, the airport remained under the control of the Indonesian Air Force. In 1975, following a Joint Decree by the Minister of Defense, the Armed Forces Commander, the Minister of Transportation, and the Minister of Finance, the airport was officially designated as a civilian airfield and came under the full jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. On October 11, 1995, the management of Pattimura Airport was transferred to Angkasa Pura I, a state-owned enterprise responsible for managing airports in central and eastern Indonesia, which is now known as InJourney Airports.

The first international flight to Ambon began in 1975, with Airnorth operating a route to Darwin, Australia. This service continued until 1998. While occasional charter flights to Darwin have been arranged in conjunction with boating events, there have been no regularly scheduled international flights since then. In 2024, due to the prolonged absence of international operations, the Ministry of Transportation officially revoked the airport’s international status.

Facilities and development

Waiting lounge windows at Pattimura Airport

A Batik Air Boeing 737-8GP at Pattimura Airport

A major upgrade of the airport was completed in 2021. As part of the expansion, the terminal area was increased from 10,270 m² to 16,090 m², boosting its annual passenger capacity from 800,000 to 1.5 million. The previous capacity had already been exceeded, with the airport serving approximately 1.3 million passengers in 2019. The renovated terminal now features a total of five gates, three of which are equipped with jet bridges.

Although the airport does not currently serve any regular international flights, it is equipped with the necessary facilities to accommodate them, including an immigration office, a quarantine facility, and a tax office.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Batik Air	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Makassar
Citilink	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Garuda Indonesia	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Lion Air	Langgur, Makassar, Sorong, Surabaya
Pelita Air	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Makassar (both begins 10 June 2025)
Smart Aviation	Banda Neira, Kisar, Wahai
Super Air Jet	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Trigana Air	Namrole, Sanana, Tiakur
Wings Air	Dobo, Namlea, Saumlaki, Ternate

Notes:

Traffic and statistics

Traffic

Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics

Year	Passengers handled	Passenger % change	Cargo (tonnes)	Cargo % change	Aircraft movements	Aircraft % change
2009	660,415		2,683		9,099
2010	719,254	8.9	2,931	9.2	11,305	24.2
2011	819,651	14.0	2,999	2.3	10,804	4.4
2012	1,075,031	31.2	2,825	5.8	11,084	2.6
2013	1,002,419	6.8	3,800	34.5	12,827	15.7
2014	1,192,355	18.9	4,895	28.8	15,986	24.6
2015	1,317,041	10.5	6,024	23.1	16,767	4.9
2016	1,360,183	3.3	5,790	3.9	17,601	5.0
2017	1,364,210	0.3	6,904	19.2	19,874	12.9
2018	1,515,993	11.1	7,972	15.5	20,079	1.0
2019	1,198,829	20.9	5,595	29.8	15,471	22.9
2020	614,057	48.8	5,751	2.8	10,440	32.5
2021	735,104	19.7	7,247	26.0	12,140	16.3
2022	990,974	34.8	7,650	5.6	12,870	6.0
2023	757,203	23.6	6,782	11.3	9,338	27.4
Source: DGCA, BPS

Statistics

Busiest flights out of Pattimura Airport by frequency (2025)

Rank	Destinations	Frequency (weekly)	Airline(s)
1	Jakarta, Jakarta Special Capital Region	28	Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Super Air Jet
2	Makassar, South Sulawesi	28	Batik Air, Lion Air
3	Surabaya, East Java	7	Lion Air
4	Sorong, Southwest Papua	7	Lion Air
5	Saumlaki, Maluku	7	Wings Air
6	Ternate, North Maluku	6	Wings Air
7	Langgur, Maluku	5	Lion Air
8	Namlea, Maluku	5	Wings Air
9	Tiakur, Maluku	5	Trigana Air
10	Namrole, Maluku	4	Trigana Air
11	Kisar, Maluku	3	Smart Aviation
12	Sanana, Maluku	2	Trigana Air
13	Dobo, Maluku	2	Wings Air
14	Banda Neira, Maluku	2	Smart Aviation
15	Wahai, Maluku	2	Smart Aviation

Ground transportation

DAMRI Bus

Perum DAMRI operates a bus service connecting Pattimura Airport to the surrounding area. Currently, there is only one route in operation, running between Pattimura Airport and Merdeka Square in downtown Ambon.

The route from the airport to Merdeka Square is as follows: Pattimura Airport – Hative Besar – Wayame – Poka – Rumah Tiga – Waiheru – Nania – Passo – Lateri – Halong – Galala – Batu Merah – DPRD Office – Hotel Manise – Hotel Amboina – Tugu Trikora – Mangga Dua – Jasindo Insurance Office – Hotel Abdulalie – Jalan AY Patty – Merdeka Square.

The return route from Merdeka Square to the airport is as follows: Merdeka Square – Supermarket Ground – Citra – Batu Merah – Galala – Halong – Lateri – Passo – Nania – Waiheru – Poka – Rumah Tiga – Wayame – Hative Besar – Pattimura Airport.

Taxi

Taxis also operate to and from the airport, providing another transportation option for passengers. Two types of vehicles are available: sedans and minivans. Previously, travelers had to use a ferry to cross Ambon Bay when heading to the city center. However, the construction of the Merah Putih Bridge has significantly reduced travel time between the airport and downtown Ambon.

Gallery

• 
  Batik Air parked at Pattimura Airport
• 
  Trigana Air ATR 42-300 and Cessna 208B parked at Ambon Airport
• 
  The airport in 2015
• 
  The airport showing the control tower in 2017

Accidents and incidents

• On 24 July 1992, Mandala Airlines Flight 660 crashed when on approach to Pattimura Airport. All 70 passengers and crew on board were killed.
• On 7 June 1997, a Merpati Nusantara Airlines flight collided with a tree on approach but was able to land safely.
• On 2 January 2007, Lion Air Flight JT 797 skidded on the runway stopping just 4 meters before the end of the runway. Neither the plane nor any of the passengers were injured, but a runway light was damaged. The accident occurred at 8:14 am during heavy rains.

External links

• PT Angkasa Pura I 2016 Annual Report