IKN Workers Contribute to Surge in Balikpapan Airport Passenger Numbers

Approximately 10,000 workers at the Nusantara Capital (IKN) — including authority officials, construction workers, and other personnel — are contributing to a surge in passenger traffic at Balikpapan International Airport during this year’s Eid season.

“Based on calculations and analysis we have conducted, a total of 313,170 homebound passengers will pass through the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman (SAMS) Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan during this Eid season,” said R Iwan Winaya Mahdar, General Manager of Angkasa Pura at SAMS Sepinggan Airport, in Balikpapan on Monday.

The 313,170 passenger figure represents a 2 per cent increase compared to the 2025 Eid season, reflecting increased population mobility among residents and workers in Balikpapan, the IKN core zone, and surrounding areas.

At least 10,000 people are residing or working in IKN in 2025, comprising approximately 7,800 construction workers, 1,170 IKN Authority civil servants, and remaining IKN workers living in the surrounding area.

Based on trends from the past two years, passenger movements during the Eid transport period at Sepinggan Airport are estimated to range between 20,000 and 22,000 passengers per day, following the peak pattern of the homebound rush and holiday return for Eid al-Fitr in 2024–2025.

“To address the anticipated surge in passengers during the 2026 Eid holiday, we are strengthening security and services within terminal facilities, flight navigation, and inter-agency coordination to ensure that increased flight volumes and terminal congestion remain manageable,” Mahdar stated.

He noted that cross-sector coordination is the key to operating safe, smooth, and comfortable air transport services, as the increased passenger movement requires proactive coordination efforts among all stakeholders.