Passenger Numbers at Samarinda Airport Surge Due to Adjustments at Sepinggan

Samarinda (ANTARA) - APT Pranoto Samarinda Airport has experienced an increase in passenger volume in recent days, following adjustments to operating hours at Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman (SAMS) Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan. The head of the BLU Office of UPBU Class I APT Pranoto Samarinda, I Kadek Yuli Sastrawan, in Samarinda on Monday, explained that the restrictions in Balikpapan are being carried out to facilitate runway speed testing. This technical phase is a mandatory procedure before the start of the overlay project or full runway thickening to improve landing safety. The technical work has resulted in operations at SAMS Sepinggan Airport being limited from 14:00 to 05:00 WITA on specific dates: Thursday, 9 April 2026, Saturday, 11 April 2026, and Monday, 13 April 2026. To maintain smooth mobility for residents of East Kalimantan, the management of APT Pranoto Airport has officially requested permission from the Authority of Airport Region VII to function as an alternate aerodrome during the restriction period in Balikpapan. Currently, APT Pranoto Airport serves around 20 to 30 daily flight frequencies, covering major domestic routes and pioneering flights. This capacity is expected to support the overflow of passengers from Balikpapan, which averages 50 flight schedules per day across 25 domestic and international routes. We have coordinated with airlines, including the Lion Group. As of now, demand for the Jakarta-Samarinda route remains very high, while the reverse direction is relatively calmer. In normal conditions, fares for that route range from Rp1.2 million for economy class and Rp2 million for business class. The authorities continue to monitor this situation to ensure price fluctuations remain within reasonable limits in accordance with the Upper Fare Limit (TBA) regulations.