Frans Kaisiepo Airport (Kota Biak)

 airport, Second World War 1939-1945

IATA : BIK
ICAO : WABB
Mokmer Runways
Wind door into the best place to release the tension. In addition to sit down to enjoy the breeze under the shade of trees a small park on the hill, they also have the best place to perpetuate their presence in Biak. To the south lies the mountain scenery Airport (Airport) Frans Kaisiepo, the largest airport in Papua, which lies on the island of Biak, which combined with the silhouette of the island and the blue sky Yapen elegant Biak.
In the city that only has dozens of streets, the existence of a runway 3570 meters and 40 meters wide is so prominent. Historical development of Biak town merged with the history of the establishment of Frans Kaisiepo airport.
Airport that will become a new milestone of launching technology by Japan Indonesia was established in 1943. Biak position close to the Pacific Ocean coral atoll making it important for Japan to fulfill his ambition was to wage war in the Pacific.
“At that time, the Japanese built several airfields and other military facilities. Airfield was built on the edge Ambroben Beach, in the customary Swapodibo. The Japanese were building an airport without permission from the owner of the six clans Swapodibo lands, namely Rumaropen, Wakum, Ronsumre, Rumbiak , Simopieref, and Yarangga, “said Pieter Mananuir Yan Yarangga, figures Swapodibo indigenous territories.

Mokmer Runways
Allied invasion forces under the command of Lieutenant General L Eichelburger on 15-27 June 1944 finally drove the Japanese from Biak. Allied airfields makes Ambroben as one of the most important base to fly to win the war in the Pacific. During the war, the airfield became the base the Royal Australian Air Force. Ally build a new airport in the region and Sorido customary Burokum. Three villages in Sorido, namely Kampung Kinmom, Bariasba, and Sasuf, Allied troops were evicted.
When the war ended, the Dutch took over all military facilities in Ambroben. “For the purpose of flight, initially, the Dutch only use Burokup airport, a distance of approximately 1.5 kilometers from the airfield in the village of Ambroben. New Holland about the year 1947 using the airport back in Ambroben. Since then, Ambroben airfield known as Mokmer, “said Assistant General Manager of Personnel and Frans Kaisiepo airport Andy Bakker.
According to Andy, in 1952, West Irian Luchtvaart Bureau began preparing Mokmer airfield facilities for commercial flights. Document Andy’s photographs collected in 1958 showed a grand hotel has been standing in front of the airport Mokmer, namely Hotel KLM, which is now renamed Hotel Irian. Dutch completed construction Mokmer airfield in 1959. Since then, Mokmer has long runway 3570 meters with 45 meters wide.
“Runway is composed of two runways that are connected together, which is next to the runway 11 and runway 29 west to the east. Since that time, could Mokmer landed the DC-8. In 1960 the existing property Boing PanAm plane which landed in Mokmer. At that time, there have been flight route Biak-Tokyo-Dutch, “said Andy.
In November 1962, Dutch Mokmer airport transfer to the United Nations Temporary Executive Administration, the body established the United Nations (UN) to prepare for the Determination of the People’s Opinions (Pepera) in Papua. Pepera post-1969, Indonesia took over the airfield Mokmer.
On May 9, 1984, airport name was changed to Mokmer Frans Kaisiepo airport, “said Andy. Kaisiepo is one of Papuan integration into Indonesia. Kaisiepo had suggested the name” Irian “to refer to Papua. Because the people of Papua have an inner experience bitter during the Suharto regime in power, they fight all the deconstruction of Papua Indonesia, including the re-identifying themselves as “people of Papua”.
In the 1990s, Frans Kaisiepo Airport continues to play an important function as an international airport. At that time, there route Jakarta-Denpasar flight-Biak-Honolulu -Los Angeles and the flight route Jakarta-Denpasar-Biak-Seattle. The route was forced to close in 1998, when the monetary crisis destroying the Indonesian economy. Since then, ending the role of Frans Kaisiepo airport as an international airport.