39 New Airports Ready for Construction

The Ministry of Transportation is preparing 39 new airport construction sites across Indonesia. This strategic move aims to strengthen national connectivity, expand air transport access, and support equitable economic development in various regions. Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa stated that with the addition of these 39 new locations, the total number of airports in the National Airport Master Plan will reach 296. ‘This network reflects the government’s commitment to delivering equitable connectivity to frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions,’ Lukman said at the opening of the Indonesian Airport Experts Association (IABI) National Conference 2026 in Jakarta. He explained that airport construction in Indonesia often faces complex geographical conditions. National aviation infrastructure has been successfully built across various land characteristics, from swamps and peatlands to coastal areas, mountainous regions, and small islands. This success has been achieved through the application of evolving engineering technology and construction innovation. ‘Going forward, airport development must not only focus on physical infrastructure but also prioritise safety, sustainability, technological utilisation, and resilience to climate change,’ he stressed. The Ministry of Transportation emphasised that the transformation of national airports depends heavily on the quality of human resources. Lukman encouraged IABI to strengthen its role as a professional organisation capable of producing experts who are professional and adaptive to the latest technology, including artificial intelligence. He expressed hope that IABI would develop an internationally recognised professional certification system, enabling Indonesian experts to contribute to airport projects at regional and global levels.