Komodo International Airport

Komodo International Airport

Bandar Udara Internasional Komodo
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Indonesia
Operator
  • PT Cardig Aero Services
  • Changi Airport International Pte Ltd
  • Changi Airports MENA Pte Ltd.[1]
ServesLabuan Bajo
LocationLabuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Time zoneWITA (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL228 ft / 69 m
Coordinates08°29′12″S 119°53′21″E / 8.48667°S 119.88917°E / -8.48667; 119.88917
Map
LBJ/WATO
Location of airport in Flores
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 2,650 8,694 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers942,194 ( 57.8%)
Cargo (tonnes)1,744 ( 384.4%)
Aircraft movements9,062 ( 25.6%)
Sources: DGCA[2][3]

Komodo International Airport (IATA: LBJ, ICAO: WATO), formerly known as Mutiara II Airport, is an international airport serving the town of Labuan Bajo, the capital of West Manggarai Regency, located on the western tip of Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Named after the Komodo dragon—an iconic species endemic to the nearby Komodo National Park—the airport functions as the primary gateway to the park and other surrounding tourist destinations. In response to growing passenger demand and the region's increasing popularity as a tourist destination, the airport has expanded its route network. It now offers regular flights to major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Denpasar (Bali), as well as international connections to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Singapore. The airport also supports regional air travel within Flores, with services to towns including Bajawa, Ende, and Maumere.

History

The airport was originally constructed in 1975 as a modest rural airstrip, serving only small aircraft on local routes.[4] As tourism to Komodo National Park steadily increased, the facility underwent continuous upgrades to accommodate the rising number of visitors.

Major development of the airport began in the early 2010s, including the extension of the runway from 1,850 meters to 2,100 meters, enabling it to accommodate narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. Additional upgrades included the construction of a new passenger terminal and supporting infrastructure. Prior to these improvements, the airport could only serve smaller aircraft such as the Fokker 50 and ATR 72.[5] The first Boeing 737 landed on 13 September 2013—a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 carrying then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who flew from Jakarta to visit Komodo National Park and inaugurate the Sail Komodo 2013 festival.[6]

In 2020, Indonesia's publicly listed air transportation services company PT Cardig Aero Service (CAS Group), in partnership with Changi Airports International (CAI), a subsidiary of Singapore’s Changi Airport Group, won the public-private partnership (PPP) tender for the expansion of Komodo International Airport.[7] The project, valued at approximately Rp 1.2 trillion (US$85.82 million), grants the consortium the right to operate the airport for 25 years, after which control will be transferred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation under the Ministry of Transportation.[8]

Between 9 and 19 November 2024, Komodo International Airport was temporarily closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi.[9] The closure caused significant disruptions, leading to the cancellation of numerous flights and leaving many passengers stranded.[10]

On 2 April 2024, the Ministry of Transportation officially granted Komodo International Airport international status.[11] Following the status upgrade, the airport commenced its first international service to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in September 2024, operated by AirAsia.[12] In March 2025, it launched a second international route to Singapore, operated by Jetstar Asia. Additional international routes are planned for the future, including potential connections to Australia and South Korea.[13]

Facilities and development

On 27 December 2015, President Joko Widodo inaugurated a new, modern terminal at Komodo Airport. The expanded terminal increased the airport’s capacity to handle up to 1.5 million passengers annually, a substantial rise from the previous capacity of approximately 150,000 passengers per year.[14] This development was expected to significantly boost tourism to Flores Island and its surrounding areas. Additionally, the runway was extended to 2,250 meters in length and 45 meters in width, allowing the airport to accommodate medium-sized jet aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 Next Generation series. Prior to this upgrade, the airport could only service smaller aircraft like the ATR 72 turboprop. The government invested a total of 191.7 billion rupiah in the airport’s development.[15]

Following the 2020 takeover of the airport’s management by PT Cardig Aero Service (CAS), a consortium including Changi Airports International Pte Ltd. (CAI) and Changi Airports MENA Pte Ltd., comprehensive development plans were initiated.[16] The airport is projected to accommodate up to 4 million passengers annually. As part of the expansion, the runway will be extended to 2,750 meters, and the apron area will be enlarged to 20,200 square meters.[16] The domestic terminal is planned to be expanded to 6,500 square meters, while a new international terminal covering 5,538 square meters will be constructed, along with a 2,860-square-meter cargo terminal and various supporting facilities. The entire development project is expected to require an investment of approximately 1.2 trillion rupiah.[16]

In 2022, another major expansion of the airport was completed and inaugurated by President Joko Widodo in preparation for the 2022 G20 Summit and the 2023 ASEAN Summit.[17][18] The expansion included widening the apron to cover an area of 31,000 square meters, providing seven parking stands—four for narrow-body aircraft and three for propeller planes. The runway was extended to 2,650 meters in length and 45 meters in width, while the passenger terminal was expanded to 13,366 square meters.[18] Plans are in place to further extend the runway by an additional 100 meters, reaching 2,750 meters, to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A330.[19]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Kuala Lumpur–International[20]
Batik Air Denpasar, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Citilink Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Garuda Indonesia Denpasar, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[21]
Indonesia AirAsia Denpasar, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[22]
Jetstar Asia Singapore (ends 31 July 2025)[23]
Super Air Jet Surabaya
Susi Air Waingapu[2]
Wings Air Bajawa, Bima (resumes 20 July 2025),[24] Ende, Kupang (resumes 20 July 2025),[25] Lombok (resumes 22 July 2025),[26] Maumere

Traffic and statistics

Traffic

Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics
Year
Passengers
handled
Passenger
% change
Cargo
(tonnes)
Cargo
% change
Aircraft
movements
Aircraft
% change
2010 36,183 63 936
2011 130,113 259.6 161 155.6 3,142 235.7
2012 154,423 18.7 281 74.5 3,944 25.5
2013 184,380 19.4 254 9.6 4,558 15.6
2014 225,995 22.6 326 28.3 5,890 29.2
2015 200,212 11.4 267 18.1 4,525 23.2
2016 146,341 26.9 246 7.9 2,834 37.4
2017 460,697 214.8 883 258.9 7,798 175.2
2018 619,767 34.5 802 9.2 10,094 29.4
2019 711,706 14.8 777 3.1 10,872 7.7
2020 331,275 53.5 259 66.7 5,775 46.9
2021 363,865 9.8 1,982 665.3 5,692 1.4
2022 596,903 64.0 360 81.8 7,213 26.7
2023 942,194 57.8 1,744 384.4 9,062 25.6
Source: DGCA, BPS[3][27]

Statistics

  • Terminal interior
  • Check-in area
  • Baggage claim area
  • The former terminal, which is now already demolished

Accidents and incidents

  • On September 14, 2011, an Aviastar BAe 146-200 aircraft struck a group of cows while landing at Komodo Airport.[28] The front section of the aircraft was damaged, particularly just above the nose landing gear. Prior to the incident, airport personnel on motorcycles had attempted to clear the runway by driving the cows away, but were unsuccessful.[29]
  • On 14 October 2022, the ceiling of one of the boarding gates at Komodo Airport collapsed, reportedly due to heavy rainfall at the time. The incident did not disrupt passenger flow at the airport, and repairs were promptly carried out by airport authorities.[30]
  • On 19 February 2024, Indonesian AirAsia Flight 860, an Airbus A320 operating from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, skidded off the taxiway while en route from the runway to the apron at Komodo Airport. All 151 passengers on board were unharmed. The aircraft was successfully evacuated approximately 50 minutes after the incident.[31]

References

  1. ^ "Bandara Komodo Resmi Dikelola Changi, Bakal Sekeren Apa?". Archived from the original on 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  2. ^ a b c d "Bandar Udara Komodo" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Transportation. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Statistik Angkatan Udara 2023" (PDF). DGCA. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  4. ^ Wibowo, Ageng (27 December 2015). "Presiden Jokowi Resmikan Bandara Komodo di NTT". ANTARA News Bangka Belitung. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  5. ^ Gatra, Sandro (13 September 2013). "Presiden SBY Kunjungi Pulau Komodo". Kompas (in Indonesian).
  6. ^ "Presiden SBY Menuju NTT untuk Membuka Sail Komodo 2013". detiknews (in Indonesian). 13 September 2013. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  7. ^ Rosana, Francisca Christy (7 February 2020). "Sah, Bandara Komodo Mulai Dikelola Changi Airport Mei 2020". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  8. ^ "Changi Airports Resmi Kelola Bandara Komodo". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 7 February 2020.
  9. ^ Ardin, Ambrosius (19 November 2024). "Bandara Komodo Labuan Bajo Beroperasi Kembali". detikTravel (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  10. ^ Ardin, Ambrosius (15 November 2024). "Cerita Turis Asal Jakarta Tertahan 5 Hari di Labuan Bajo gegara Bandara Tutup". detikbali (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  11. ^ Aprianus, Engelbertus (26 April 2024). "Menhub Resmi Tetapkan Bandara Komodo Labuan Bajo sebagai Bandara Internasional". Pos-kupang.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  12. ^ Chaniago, Suci Wulandari Putri; Widyanti, Ni Nyoman Wira (8 August 2024). "AirAsia Terbang dari Kuala Lumpur ke Labuan Bajo per 3 September". Kompas (in Indonesian).
  13. ^ Ardin, Ambrosius; Suadnyana, Sui (19 March 2025). "Bandara Komodo Layani Rute Empat Negara Mulai 2025, Termasuk Korsel". detikbali (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  14. ^ Daniel, Wahyu (30 December 2015). "Hebat! Begini Kinclongnya Bandara Komodo di NTT". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  15. ^ Anwar, Akhirul (2015-12-27). "Pembangunan Terminal Bandara Komodo Habiskan Anggaran Rp191,7 Miliar". Bisnis.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  16. ^ a b c "Labuan Bajo's Komodo Airport Requires Rp1.2 Trillion Investment". Tempo. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  17. ^ Nuka, Fransiska Mariana (21 July 2022). "Presiden Jokowi resmikan perluasan Bandara Komodo Labuan Bajo". ANTARA News Jambi. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  18. ^ a b Prabowo, Aditya (7 May 2023). "Fasilitas Bandara Komodo Siap Sambut Delegasi KTT ASEAN". Radio Republik Indonesia (in Indonesian).
  19. ^ "Jokowi Perluas Bandara Komodo Agar Turis Bisa Langsung ke Labuan Bajo". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 21 July 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  20. ^ "Bandara Internasional Komodo Akan Layani Rute Kuala Lumpur-Labuan Bajo pada September 2024". Kompas (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  21. ^ "Garuda Indonesia expands domestic network from Sep 2016". Routesonline. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  22. ^ "INDONESIA AIRASIA MAY/JUNE 2023 NETWORK EXPANSION". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Qantas Group to close Jetstar Asia". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  24. ^ Rafiin. "Bandara Bima Buka Rute Baru Menuju Labuan Bajo, Terbang Perdana 11 Juni 2025". detikbali (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  25. ^ "Rute penerbangan langsung Kupang-Labuan Bajo kembali dibuka". Antara (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  26. ^ "Rute Penerbangan Lombok Labuan Bajo Kupang Segera Dibuka". Radio Republik Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  27. ^ "Statistik Angkatan Udara 2019" (PDF). DGCA. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  28. ^ Haba, Salomo (15 September 2011). "Pesawat AviaStar Tabrak Gerombolan Sapi di Bandara Komodo". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  29. ^ "Island in focus: Plane hits cows at Komodo airport". September 16, 2011.
  30. ^ Fadhillah, Ilyas (14 October 2022). "Plafon Bandara Komodo Jebol, Kemenhub Beri Penjelasan". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  31. ^ Ardin, Ambrosius. "Penjelasan Maskapai soal Pesawat AirAsia Tergelincir di Bandara Komodo". detikbali (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
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