Sumatra Blackout: InJourney Airports Remain Operational
PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (InJourney Airports) stated that its airports in Sumatra remained on standby and operational despite power disruptions in several parts of Sumatra on Friday, 22 May 2026, evening. Regional CEO III InJourney Airports Dwi Ananda Wicaksana said airport electricity supplies in Sumatra are directly supported by PLN and generators.
“Although all airports were outside operating hours this evening, they remain on standby. The electricity supply at several airports in Sumatra is currently provided by PLN, with some still relying on generators,” Dwi said in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday, 22 May 2026.
Dwi added that as of 9:30 PM WIB, the InJourney Airports in Sumatra with PLN-supplied electricity were Sultan Thaha Jambi, Depati Amir Pangkal Pinang, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Palembang, Radin Inten II Lampung, Raja Haji Fisabilillah Tanjung Pinang, HAS Hanandjoeddin Belitung, Fatmawati Soekarno Bengkulu, and Minangkabau Padang. The airports using generators for electricity were Sultan Iskandar Muda Aceh, Sultan Syarif Kasim II Pekanbaru, and Sisingamangaraja XII Silangit.
“All airports in Sumatra are ready to serve flights,” Dwi said.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has urged PT PLN (Persero) to maximise and expedite power restoration to normalise public activities.
Deputy Energy Minister Yuliot, in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday, 23 May 2026, said his ministry is coordinating closely with the State Secretariat and PT PLN (Persero) to handle the power system disturbance in parts of Sumatra on Friday.
“The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, as the regulator and overseer of the electricity subsector, is taking this blackout seriously. We understand the disruption has caused inconvenience to the public and impacted economic and social activities in affected areas,” Yuliot said.
He assured a thorough technical investigation to determine the root cause and implement mitigation measures to prevent recurrence.
Meanwhile, Acting Director General of Electricity Tri Winarno said the government is continuously evaluating and monitoring the restoration process to ensure reliable and safe power supply.
“In the initial phase after the widespread outage, we have deployed electricity inspectors to the field, with more teams to follow for intensive investigation to prevent recurrence,” he said.
Tri added that Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia directed PLN to strengthen Sumatra’s backbone system through 500 kV/275 kV power plant and transmission construction, and reinforce subsystem reliability in each province. PLN also needs to prepare blackstart power plants or infrastructure for faster recovery during outages.
“Energy Minister has instructed us to ensure the acceleration of power plant construction in West Sumatra to proceed smoothly,” Tri said.