Mutiara Airport Officially Serves Inaugural Palu-Guangzhou International Flight
Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri International Airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, has officially begun serving its first international flight on the Palu-Guangzhou, China route, operated by Garuda Indonesia on Thursday evening (6/8).
“This is certainly a new history for us in Central Sulawesi. Our airport is operating as an international airport for the first time,” said Central Sulawesi Governor Anwar Hafid at the inauguration of the inaugural Palu-Guangzhou international flight.
He said the flight marks the opening of international connectivity from Central Sulawesi after Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri Airport was designated as an international airport in 2025.
According to him, the opening of the Palu-Guangzhou route is one of the signs of Central Sulawesi’s progress, particularly in supporting regional economic development.
He said direct connectivity with Guangzhou can open broader access for developing the region’s potential, especially in the tourism, investment, and economic cooperation sectors with China.
He said the inaugural flight, scheduled for 20.20 WITA, carried 157 passengers from Palu to Guangzhou with all seats fully occupied and a flight time of approximately five hours.
The governor expressed hope that the opening of the route will be the beginning of stronger connectivity between Central Sulawesi and China and other countries.
In addition, he said, the Central Sulawesi provincial government is targeting Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri Airport to be able to serve Hajj embarkation flights in the future.
Therefore, his administration is encouraging the development of Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri Airport in line with the increasing international flight activity, including facility improvements and runway expansion, Anwar said.
He expressed hope that central government support through the state budget (APBN) can accelerate the runway expansion so that the airport’s service capacity can be increased.
“My hope is that with the help of the Director General through the APBN budget, the runway expansion can be expedited, so that hopefully within our term of office, Hajj embarkation flights can also be carried out from SIS Al-Jufri Airport,” he said.
He is targeting the land requirements for airport development to be resolved so that the construction process can proceed more quickly.
“God willing, perhaps by 2028 onwards it can be done, everything will be clear and clean,” Anwar said.
Garuda Indonesia Deputy Director Thomas Sugiarto said the Palu-Guangzhou flight opens new access and economic growth pathways by directly connecting Central Sulawesi’s potential with international markets.
“Today we are not merely opening a route, but also opening a growth pathway that connects Central Sulawesi’s potential directly with international markets,” he said.
According to him, Central Sulawesi is developing into one of the increasingly strategic economic growth centres in eastern Indonesia.
The region’s industrial, trade, investment, and tourism potential, as well as its various leading commodities, require air connectivity that can deliver faster and more competitive travel efficiency.
Through the direct flight, he said, travel time to one of the largest trade and manufacturing centres in China and Asia can be shortened.
He said the flight is expected to facilitate the mobility of business actors and the public, open broader market access, and encourage the growth of new industrial, investment, and economic cooperation opportunities.