Airports / Papua New Guinea / WBM
Wapenamanda Airport.
Wapenamanda, Papua New Guinea · 5,889 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.0/5
Google rating
26 ratings
0
Operators based
5,889
Elevation ft
Google rating
Google reviews
Field elevation
Nearest alternate
Field standing
#5 / 20
Papua New Guinea airports by Google rating
4.0★ across 26 Google ratings , ranked against 20 rated Papua New Guinea fields.
27 nm
To the nearest alternate
Mount Hagen Kagamuga Airport (HGU), 2 fields within 50 nm.
Overview
Wapenamanda Airport, listed as AYWD / WBM, is a mid-sized airport in Wapenamanda, Papua New Guinea. The field lies at an elevation of 5,889 feet. The airport supports scheduled airline service as well as private jet and charter movements.
WBM has no resident charter fleet; trips here are typically flown by operators repositioning from surrounding airports. Useful alternates include Mount Hagen Kagamuga Airport (HGU, 27 nm), Mendi Airport (MDU, 34 nm), and Chimbu Airport (CMU, 69 nm). WBM offers a single 5,052-foot paved runway, which supports charter types through the super-midsize jet class.
Quotes for flights out of WBM vary with aircraft type, repositioning, and schedule flexibility. Use the cost estimator to model a trip from WBM, or browse verified operators serving the area.
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Field capability
ICAO
AYWD
IATA
WBM
FAA / Local
AYWD
Elevation
5,889 ft
Coordinates
5.6353° S · 143.8922° E
Airspace
G · GolfClass G, GolfUncontrolled field, no tower. Pilots self-announce and sequence themselves on the common traffic advisory frequency.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Medium
Scheduled svc
Yes
Elevation vs Papua New Guinea fields
state range 7–5,889 ft
At 5,889 ft, WBM sits higher than 95% of the 21 Papua New Guinea fields on the register, a high-elevation field where density altitude can trim aircraft performance on warm days.
Runways & aircraft access
1 runway
longest 5,052 ft
- 14/325,052 ft × 75 ftAsphaltUnlit
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 5,052 ft
WBM's 5,052 ft paved runway typically supports charter aircraft up to super-midsize jets.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation, and at 5,889 ft this field's density altitude can extend the runway a jet actually needs on warm days. Confirm performance with the operator.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 27nmHGUMount Hagen Kagamuga AirportMount Hagen
- 34nmMDUMendi AirportMendi
- 69nmCMUChimbu AirportKundiawa
- 93nmGKAGoroka AirportGoronka
- 116nmMAGMadang AirportMadang
- 124nmWWKWewak International AirportWewak
Location
Open the full mapAYWD · Wapenamanda Airport · Wapenamanda, Papua New Guinea
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from WBM on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu (HNL) | 3,786 nm | 9h 12m |
| Anchorage (ANC) | 5,031 nm | 12h 6m |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 5,787 nm | 13h 51m |
| Seattle (SEA) | 5,807 nm | 13h 54m |
| Los Angeles (VNY) | 5,971 nm | 14h 17m |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 6,134 nm | 14h 40m |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 6,266 nm | 14h 58m |
| Scottsdale (SCF) | 6,300 nm | 15h 3m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use WBM?
- Wapenamanda Airport's longest paved runway is 5,052 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to super-midsize jets. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at WBM?
- Wapenamanda Airport has one runway; the longest measures 5,052 ft on a paved surface.
- What is the nearest major airport to WBM?
- The closest alternate is Mount Hagen Kagamuga Airport (HGU), about 27 nm away, followed by Mendi Airport (MDU) at 34 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from WBM to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Honolulu about 9h 12m (3,786 nm), Anchorage about 12h 6m (5,031 nm), San Francisco about 13h 51m (5,787 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.