Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport – WGP Waingapu
Originally called Mau Hau Airport, Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport is one of two airports on the island of Sumba. It is a small domestic airport that serves Waingapu, the largest town in Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara, the southernmost province in Indonesia. Its code, WGP, comes from its location, five kilometers east of the city Waingapu, which is why it is commonly known as Waingapu Airport.
Best Time to Visit
Umbu Mehang Kunda or Waingapu Airport has one asphalt runway designated 15/33, which measures 7,218 × 148 feet (2,200 x 45 meters). A new terminal was inaugurated in 2016, to improve passenger services from the old facilities, however with very few regular flights, amenities are quite limited. Wings Air and Nam Air are the two carriers that fly to and from WGP Airport.
Beyond Waingapu, some of the nearby locations are the towns of Ruteng and Ende, and the cities of Bima and Maumere.
What to Do & Area Attractions
For accommodations near Waingapu Airport, the Pondok Wisata dan Restoran Elim a quarter of a kilometer away and the Padadita Beach Hotel 4.4 kilometers off both offer free airport shuttle service.
The closest major airport to WGP is Komodo Airport, 139 kilometers off in Labuan Bajo. The other airport on Sumba, Tambolaka Airport on the western end of the island, is 208 kilometers from Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport. Many travelers arrive at one of these, and cross to the other end of the island to depart via the other.
