Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport Elevated to International Status

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has officially designated Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport in Manggarai Barat Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as an international airport, upgrading its status from a domestic one. This significant development is outlined in the Minister of Transportation’s Decree No. KM 31 of 2024 regarding the Designation of International Airports.

“I just received a copy of the decree this morning,” said Ceppy Triono, Head of the Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport Operating Unit (UPBU), when contacted in Labuan Bajo on Friday, April 26th, 2024. He indicated that the airport authorities will promptly coordinate with the relevant technical directorates to implement the third dictum of the decree.

To operate as an international airport, Triono explained, several requirements must be met. Firstly, the airport must adhere to international standards for safety, security, and service. Secondly, there must be dedicated units and personnel responsible for customs, immigration, and quarantine procedures. Lastly, effective coordination among relevant stakeholders must be ensured through the Airport Facilitation Committee (FAL) to maintain smooth and orderly operations.

“The technical directorates will certainly re-evaluate the airport to ensure compliance with these requirements,” Triono confirmed.

Earlier this year, on January 5th, Triono had expressed optimism about achieving the target of 1 million passengers in 2024. “To reach 1 million passengers, we have already reached 860,000 passengers this year (2023). I am confident that achieving 1 million passengers in 2024 will not be too difficult,” he stated.

To meet this target, which was also highlighted by Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, during his visit on December 5th, 2023, the airport management has been undertaking various infrastructure upgrades. These include extending the runway to accommodate larger aircraft.

“To achieve the target of 1 million visitors this year, we have been improving the infrastructure. The current runway length is 2,650 meters, and there will be an additional 100 meters of work, so by the end of 2024, we will have a runway length of 2,750 meters,” Triono explained.

Further infrastructure enhancements involve increasing the capacity of the Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport apron to accommodate more and larger aircraft. “We are adding to the apron area. Currently, it can only handle seven aircraft, and we plan to add 100 meters by 100 meters,” he added.

The terminal at Komodo Airport currently has a capacity of 1.1 million passengers, which is deemed sufficient to handle the expected increase in traffic. The airport’s transformation into an international hub is expected to attract more tourists and stimulate economic activity in the region, contributing to Indonesia’s overall tourism growth.