Roman Tmetuchl International Airport

Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (IATA: ROR, ICAO: PTRO, FAA LID: ROR[1]), also known as Palau International Airport is the main airport of Palau. It is located near the former capital Koror, just north of Ngetkib, Airai on Babeldaob island. The airport is 4 miles (6 km) from Koror and 15 miles (25 km) from Ngerulmud.

Roman Tmetuchl International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerRepublic of Palau
LocationNgerusar, Airai, Babeldaob Island, Palau
Elevation AMSL176 ft / 54 m
Coordinates07°22′02″N 134°32′39″E / 7.36722°N 134.54417°E / 7.36722; 134.54417
Websitewww.palau-airport.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 7,200 2,195 Asphalt/concrete

Overview

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan (8 April 2015)

The airport covers an area of 480 acres (190 ha) at an elevation of 176 feet (54 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 9/27 with an asphalt and concrete surface measuring 7,200 by 150 feet (2,194 x 45 m).[1] For the 12-month period ending December 13, 2004, the airport had 1,142 aircraft operations, an average of 95 per month: 78% scheduled commercial, 10% air taxi, 8% general aviation and 4% military.[1]

History

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According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the only airline serving the airport in the fall of 1993 was Continental Micronesia (formerly Air Micronesia), a division of Continental Airlines, operating nonstop Boeing 727-200 jet service from Guam, Manila, Taipei and Yap, Caroline Islands.[4]

A resolution adopted by the Senate of Palau in May 2006 renamed Palau International Airport as the Roman Tmetuchl International Airport, in honor of the late local politician and businessman Roman Tmetuchl.[5] It is also known as Babelthuap/Koror Airport[1] or Airai Airport.

Delta Air Lines provided scheduled service to Tokyo-Narita until 2018. Following Delta's withdrawal from the Palau market, Skymark Airlines announced that it would start charter service from Narita to Palau, and upgrade these flights to scheduled service in mid-2019.[6]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Air Niugini Port Moresby, Tokyo–Narita[7]
Alii Palau Airlines
operated by Druk Air
Singapore[8]
Belau Air Angaur, Peleliu[citation needed]
Cambodia Angkor Air Hong Kong, Phnom Penh[9]
Caroline Islands Air Yap
China Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan
Hong Kong Airlines Charter: Hong Kong
Nauru Airlines Brisbane,[10] Majuro, Nauru, Pohnpei, Tarawa[11]
Pacific Missionary Aviation Angaur, Peleliu, Yap
Qantas Brisbane (begins 7 December 2024)[12]
United Airlines Guam, Manila, Tokyo–Narita (begins 2 April 2025)[13]

Statistics

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Annual passenger traffic at ROR airport. See Wikidata query.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e FAA Airport Form 5010 for ROR – Babelthuap/Koror PDF, effective 2 Jul 2009.
  2. ^ Airport information for PTRO[usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  3. ^ Airport information for ROR at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  4. ^ Oct. 1, 1993, OAG Desktop Flight Guide, Worldwide Edition, Koror, Palau Island flight schedules
  5. ^ Ngiraiwet, Florencia (2007-11-02), Senate Joint Resolution Status Table (PDF), Senate of Palau, archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-10, retrieved 2008-02-25
  6. ^ "Skymark to offer Tokyo service to Saipan and Palau". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  7. ^ "Air Niugini Intends to Resume Palau / Tokyo Service in 4Q24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Drukair to operate Singapore-Palau service on behalf of Alii Palau Airlines". Corporate Travel Community. 25 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Cambodia Angkor Air 1Q24 Planned Network Addition Changes – 12DEC23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  10. ^ Airlines, Nauru. "Nauru Airlines' New Route: Non-Stop Brisbane-Palau Flights for $999". Nauru Airlines. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Nauru Airlines NW23 Service Changes: Palau Dec 2023 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Qantas Tentatively Files Palau Schedule From Dec 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  13. ^ "United announced 13 new international routes and 3 'fifth freedom' flights to far-flung destinations". Retrieved 10 October 2024.
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