TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The plan to construct the North Bali airport has resurfaced. Minister of People's Empowerment Coordination Muhaimin Iskandar said that President Prabowo Subianto has approved the project to build the North Bali International Airport (BIBU).
"We have obtained approval from the President. All technical aspects have been prepared, and we will strive to realize the North Bali Airport in the near future," said Muhaimin, as quoted from Antara, July 6, 2025.
The plan to build the North Bali airport was initiated in 2015 by I Made Mangku Pastika, the Governor of Bali for the period 2013-2018. The airport is planned to accommodate 50 million passengers annually.
The construction of the airport is considered to bridge the gap between North Bali and South Bali. For several decades, development in Bali has been focused in the southern region-such as Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan, which are home to Kuta, Canggu, and Jimbaran beaches.
Conversely, the northern region, such as Buleleng, has been relatively left behind. The narrow and winding roads make the journey from Buleleng to Ngurah Rai Airport take 3 to 4 hours. This has led to conspicuous social and economic disparities. Out of the 16.3 million tourists who visited Bali last year, only about 600,000 visited Buleleng.
However, Buleleng is the most densely populated regency in Bali, inhabited by 826,000 people. The unemployment and poverty rates are also the highest in the province. "The young people in our village all migrate to South Bali or abroad to seek jobs," said Made Sudirsa, the village chief near the planned airport location.
The North Bali Airport is also aimed at addressing the congested capacity of Ngurah Rai International Airport. As reported by Channel News Asia, Ngurah Rai Airport is currently approaching its maximum capacity of 24 million passengers per year. In 2024 alone, the airport recorded 23.6 million passengers.
During holiday seasons such as Christmas and New Year, activities at Ngurah Rai International Airport can reach 400 flights per day. The airport's limited area of only 269 hectares makes further expansion impossible. "Due to land constraints, Ngurah Rai cannot be expanded further. The only long-term solution is to build a new airport in the northern region," said the Head of Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun.
The government has included the BIBU project in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025-2029. The plan is to build the airport on an artificial island covering an area of 900 hectares in the Kubutambahan region, Buleleng Regency.
The project will involve the construction of a new metropolitan city equipped with five-star hotels, a convention center, and a film industry area named Baliwood. It will also be strengthened with a 60 km toll road connecting Kubutambahan to Mengwi, as well as a railway track to Ngurah Rai.
CEO of PT BIBU, Panji Sakti, Erwanto Hariwibowo, stated that the project is awaiting a final decision from the Ministry of Transportation. "We are optimistic. Hopefully, by 2027, one runway can be operational," he said. Pros and Cons, Environmental Challenges
Although many residents support it, there are also some who oppose the project. They are concerned about the ecological and social impacts such as eviction, environmental damage, and cultural changes. "We do not want Buleleng to transform into a South Bali: disappearing villages, fields, and forests," said Ketut Artawan, a resident of Kubutambahan.
Critics also question the feasibility of this project by citing the failures of new airports such as Kertajati (West Java) and Dhoho (Kediri) that are still experiencing low flight traffic. "The main challenges are funding and operational sustainability," said aviation analyst, Chappy Hakim.
Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri also opposes the construction of this airport. According to Megawati, the airport construction only benefits tourists and wastes the budget.
However, for many parties, the construction of BIBU is a strategic step to distribute tourism and development evenly. "In the south, tourists get stuck in traffic and cannot find hotel rooms. This damages Bali's image. We cannot let development be exclusive to the south," emphasized Anak Agung Ngurah Sukarsana from Gianyar.
The Ministry of Transportation has not yet determined the location for the construction of the North Bali International Airport. "As of now, the plan for the North Bali Airport has not yet had a location determination but has been proposed by the Bali Provincial Government as the originator of the proposal for the location determination of the North Bali Airport," said the Head of Public Relations and General Affairs of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation, Endah Purnama Sari on July 5, 2025.
Syahdi Muharram also contributed to the writing of this article.
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