Gurney Airport

Gurney Airport
Gurney Airport
	IATA: GUR; ICAO: AYGN;
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Government
Serves	Alotau, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
Elevation AMSL	18.6 m / 61 ft
Coordinates	10°18′41″S 150°20′01″E / 10.31139°S 150.33361°E
Map
	GUR Location of the airport in Papua New Guinea
Runways
	Source: WAD, GCM

Gurney Airport (IATA: GUR, ICAO: AYGN) is an airport serving Alotau in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG).^[1]

The airport is a single runway general aviation facility. In December 2008, the PNG Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Don Polye announced that the aviation company SkyAirWorld had been granted permission to operate direct flights from Cairns, Australia to Gurney.^[3]

History

Built by the US Army 96th Engineer General Service Regiment, Company E of 46th Engineer General Service Regiment and No. 6 Mobile Works Squadron RAAF during World War II. Named after Charles Raymond Gurney an Australian aviator. Consisting of two parallel runways with the first runway 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long by 150 feet (46 m) wide surfaced with bitumen and the second runway 5,340 feet (1,630 m) long x 100 feet (30 m) wide surfaced with marston matting. Taxiways and revetments extended off both sides of the runways. Known as Fall River Aerodrome and No. 1 Strip. The airfield was named Gurney Field on 14 September 1942 in honour of Royal Australian Air Force Squadron Leader C.R. Gurney, who was killed in an aircraft crash.^[4]^[5]^[6]

The airfield was reopened in early 1966, as a part of the Australian colonial policy of having each of the provincial capitals served by daily flights. The last Sunbird PBY service to Samarai was in January of that year. A number of other WWII airfields were reopened in the area, such as Vivigani Airfield and Misima (April 1964). Several airlines then operated daily passenger and freight services into Gurney, using larger aircraft.^[7]

Allied Units based at Gurney Field

8th Fighter Group (18 September 1942 – February 1943)

Headquarters, 35th Fighter Squadron, P-40 Warhawk, 36th Fighter Squadron, (P-39 Airacobra, P-400, and P-40 Warhawk^[8]), 80th Fighter Squadron P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra.

418th Night Fighter Squadron, (V Fighter Command), (2–22 November 1943), P-61 Black Widow
421st Night Fighter Squadron, (V Fighter Command), (4–27 January 1944), P-61 Black Widow
No. 32 Squadron RAAF - (Lockheed Hudson)
No. 75 Squadron RAAF (P-40)
No. 76 Squadron RAAF (P-40)
No. 100 Squadron RAAF
No. 10 Repair and Salvage Unit RAAF
A Troop, 9 Battery, 2/3 Australian Light Anti-aircraft Regiment^[9]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 88 feet (27 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 09/27 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,690 by 30 metres (5,545 ft × 98 ft).^[7]