Drietabbetje Airport (DRJ)

Drietabbetje Airstrip (SMDA) serves the remote Tapanahony River village of Drietabbetje in Suriname's interior, positioned at coordinates 4°06'N, 54°40'W in the dense South American rainforest region. The facility operates with a single runway 4/22 and basic airstrip infrastructure designed to provide essential aviation access to this isolated Indigenous community along the Tapanahony River, where river and air transport are the primary means of reaching the outside world. As a small village airstrip with minimal infrastructure, the facility features a basic unpaved runway, simple aircraft parking area, and fundamental shelter for passengers and cargo operations, operating without navigational aids typical of remote Surinamese interior airstrips. The terminal consists of basic waiting shelter and essential services for passengers connecting to and from Paramaribo via charter flights and regional carriers, supporting the local community's needs for medical evacuations, government services, and supply logistics. Operational challenges include tropical weather conditions with heavy seasonal rainfall, limited fuel availability requiring coordination with charter operators, and restricted accessibility during certain weather conditions. The airstrip serves as a vital link for the Drietabbetje community and surrounding villages, facilitating connections to Suriname's capital while supporting the region's traditional Indigenous communities and occasional mineral exploration activities in this pristine but challenging rainforest environment of Suriname's interior.