Location
Lat 6° 59' 6N Long 158° 12' 32E  Pohnpei Airport is located at the center of Dakatik Island (Takatik) in Ponape State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Also known as "Dakatik Airport, "Takatik Airport", "Pohnpei International Airport" or "Ponape Airport". Connected by causeway to Pohnpei (Ponape). Located one mile to the south is Kolonia (Colonia).

Construction
In 1972, built by a U.S. Navy (USN) civil engineering team.

Today
Still in use today as "Pohnpei International Airport" or "Pohnpei Airport" as a small airport and port of entry. The single runway is oriented 27/09 measures 6,001' x 150' surfaced with asphalt. Airport codes: ICAO: PTPN / IATA: PNI.

Stan Gajda adds:
"The present international airport is built on Dakatik Island which is west of Langar. Dakatik was never occupied or used at all by the Japanese, ever. In the 1970s a causeway was built from Kolonia to Dakatik of about 1 mile long and then the airfield and the shipping docks were developed on Dakatik. Today after much renovation and upgrading the airfield can take a 767 and the terminal is much enlarged and modernized. The docks too are very much improved and upgraded."

John Voss adds:
"As Ponape did not have any operational airfields post-war this Island was utilized for all air transportation to Ponape. While I was there a USN Civil Engineering the team was also there surveying the island for an airfield. A jet runway was constructed in the harbor a few years later and Continental Air Lines began air service in the late 60's with 727's. Transocean Airlines began the replacement service with PBY's. At another later point in time the contract was turned over to PanAm and they started flying the route with "Provided" SA-16's (three) and a C-54 courtesy of the USAF via US Dept of the Interior. Note the striking similarity of the Albatross paint scheme to that of PanAm aircraft using the identical blue and white colors."

References
Constructing Airport on Takatik Island, Pohnpei, 1972 (photos)
Thanks to Stan Gajda and John Voss for additional information

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Last Updated
July 19, 2024