| Mount Hagen is third largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea, at an elevation of 1,677 m (5,502 ft).
The Highlands Highway is the main arterial route to connect Mount Hagen with the coastal cities of Lae and Madang. The city is named after the old eroded volcano Mount Hagen, located about 24 kilometres (15 mi) to the northwest.
In 1933 Mick Leahy, brother Dan Leahy, and government officer Jim Taylor conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the highlands and discovered the huge and heavily populated Wahgi Valley. A short time later they walked in with a well supplied patrol and became the first westerners to come in to contact with the tribes that are now on the location of Mount Hagen. The first patrol built an airstrip at Kelua, a short distance from modern Mount Hagen. From 1934, a new airstrip, the 'Mogei drome', was located on a site where the future town was formed.
Mount Hagen has an international airport, HGU, at Kagamuga, a satellite town 15 minutes drive from the centre of Mount Hagen, although flights into and out of it are not always available to the public. The airport lies almost 5400 feet above sea level. Currently, Airlines PNG operates a charter service using Dash 8 aircraft from Cairns, Queensland to Mount Hagen for mine workers at the Porgera Gold Mine in Enga Province. Asia Pacific Airlines also fly Dash 8s regularly to Tabubil, their hub, to service the Ok Tedi Mine. Air Niugini also service Mount Hagen, with regular Fokker F28 and Dash 8 services to destinations such as Port Moresby, Moro and Cairns.
From time to time, the combination of altitude, midday temperatures and runway length restrict takeoff weights for domestic flights out of Mount Hagen.
Mount Hagen is connected via the Highlands Highway to the cities of Lae and Madang. The road between Mount Hagen and Lae is sealed, although frequent landslides and general deterioration can lead to parts of the road becoming unsealed or rough. Roads to other parts of the Western Highlands province are generally unsealed.
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