Indonesia is preparing to significantly expand its airports as the government seeks to improve connectivity across the archipelago, particularly in frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped regions. The plan reflects the country’s long-term ambition to ensure that air transportation services can reach more communities and support broader economic development.
Currently, Indonesia has 257 operating airports. Under the government’s latest plan, that number will increase to 296 airports nationwide.
The expansion is outlined in the National Airport System, which serves as Indonesia’s National Airport Master Plan. As part of the initiative, the government has identified 39 locations where new airports are expected to be built.
Director General of Air Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, Lukman F. Laisa, said the additional airports demonstrate the government’s commitment to delivering more equitable connectivity throughout the country, including in regions that remain geographically isolated.
As the world’s largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia depends heavily on air transportation to connect its thousands of islands. According to Lukman, a reliable airport network is essential not only for strengthening interregional links but also for driving economic growth, supporting tourism development, and expanding public access to air travel services.
Building airports across Indonesia has required overcoming a wide range of geographical challenges. Airport projects have been developed in areas with highly complex conditions, including swamps, peatlands, coastal zones, mountainous regions, and small islands.
Despite these difficulties, Indonesia has managed to address the challenges by adopting engineering technologies and continuously advancing construction innovations.
“The experience of building airports across various regional characteristics has become a highly valuable asset for Indonesia. Going forward, airport development should not only focus on physical infrastructure but must also prioritize safety, sustainability, technological utilization, and resilience to climate change,” Lukman said in a statement, as quoted by detikFinance on Tuesday (June 30, 2026).
Lukman also emphasized that successful airport development relies on the contributions of experts from numerous disciplines. Professionals involved in planning, design, construction, supervision, and airport operations all play critical roles in ensuring that airport projects can be developed and operated effectively.
For that reason, strengthening human resource capabilities has become one of the key priorities in supporting the transformation of Indonesia’s airport sector.
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He further encouraged the Indonesian Airport Experts Association (IABI) to expand its role as a professional organization that can serve as a hub for competency development, innovation, and collaboration among airport specialists across the country.
According to Lukman, IABI can also contribute by developing professional certification systems that are recognized not only nationally but also internationally.
By increasing the number of airports from 257 to 296 and preparing 39 new airport locations, Indonesia is seeking to build a stronger and more inclusive aviation network that can better connect its diverse regions while supporting economic growth, tourism, and access to transportation services throughout the archipelago.
