Tari Airport guide

Tari Airport (ICAO: AYTA) is the air gateway to Tari, the capital of Hela Province in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. The town sits in rugged mountain country with limited road connections, so the airport carries much of the passenger and freight traffic for the province.

The airport opened in 1975 with an unsealed runway, which was damaged in the 2018 earthquake. It now has a sealed asphalt runway, designated 14/32 and about 1,500 metres long. A new terminal building was officially opened on 29 August 2023 at a cost of K79.24 million. It was delivered by the National Airports Corporation under the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program, funded by the Government of Papua New Guinea with the Asian Development Bank.

Air Niugini flies the route to Port Moresby. The terminal has check-in counters and a waiting area, but no lounge. Taxis are not metered, so travellers usually arrange a pickup with their hotel, lodge or a local contact before arrival.