El Tari Air Force Base (Penfui Airport)

El Tari Air Force Base, sharing facilities with El Tari Airport (formerly Penfui Airfield), is a dual-use military and civilian installation located in Kupang on the island of Timor in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia.

Airfield operations began in 1928 during the Dutch colonial period. Between 1939 and 1941, Australian forces upgraded the facilities. In December 1941, the Australian Sparrow Force deployed to Penfui. Japanese aircraft attacked the base in January 1942, encountering defense from British anti-aircraft units and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters of the US 33rd Pursuit Squadron. Japanese forces captured the airfield in February 1942 during the Battle of Timor. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service converted the site into a naval air base for its 3rd Naval Air Squadron, operating Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters and Mitsubishi C5M2 reconnaissance aircraft for strikes against Australia. The Royal Australian Air Force No. 31 Squadron attacked the Japanese garrison at the base in December 1942. The installation was surrendered to Australian troops in September 1945, returned to Dutch control, and formally transferred to the Government of Indonesia in May 1950. In December 1975, the Indonesian Air Force utilized the airfield as a forward base and staging area for paratroopers during Operation Seroja. The installation was renamed in 1988 after former governor Elias Tari.

The facility operates as a Type A military airbase for the Indonesian Air Force and functions as a base for the Indonesian Navy's Naval Aviation Center (Puspenerbal). The military shares air traffic operations with the civilian airport and owns the majority of the land surrounding the installation. Shared infrastructure at the site includes a 58,469-square-meter apron capable of accommodating 17 narrow-body aircraft, alongside a 16,424-square-meter civilian passenger terminal.