Bali Airport Gets A New ‘VVIP’ Terminal Ahead Of G20 Summit

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In November this year, Bali is hosting the G20 Summit. Ahead of the international conference, the Bali government has announced that they are constructing a VVIP terminal at the island’s only international airport. 

The Minister for Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, confirmed that construction is already underway and 20% completed. The intention is to facilitate easy and efficient arrival processing for world leaders and their delegations.

Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport currently has two passenger terminals, one for domestic travel within Indonesia, and another for international travel.

Presidents, Prime Ministers, royalty and global policy makers will all be welcomed to Bali via the new VVIP terminal. World leaders in technology, business, and other sectors who have been invited to the summit will also have access to the VVIP terminal.

In an official statement released on Monday 30th May, Minister Hadimuljono said that ‘”Bali, which will be the center of the location for the G20 Summit with the theme ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’ , will be made more environmentally friendly through activities to improve regional infrastructure supported by massive reforestation efforts’. 

The news of significant reforestation efforts will come as welcome news to environmentalists who highlight the huge ecological impact of conferences such as the G20 that involve thousands of people flying mostly on private jets to countries far away for a two-day event.

The construction of the VVIP terminal is being coordinated by a private construction contractor PT Wijaya Karya and has been afforded a budget of IDR 51 billion (USD 350 million). The budget does not only include the construction of the VVIP terminal, the funds will be used to improve the airport’s perimeter fence and other maintenance of the main airport’s infrastructure.

The current VIP terminal will also receive a revamp, and the cargo terminal will also undergo renovations to support the smooth operation of the event.

Minister Hadimuljono continued to say ‘this is the first destination visited by the heads of state participating in the G20 Summit. I hope that coordination between agencies will be maintained properly for the smooth and accurate work’.

It is essential for Indonesia’s image on the world stage that the event that the summit runs smoothly. Organisers are committed to delivering President Jokowi’s wish that the G20 Summit can promote peace and unity amongst nations.

As the G20 Summit approaches there will be a consistent effort throughout Bali to ensure that the island is looking well maintained in the wake of the pandemic. These efforts are not only to impress world leaders. As the tourism sector emerges from the pandemic the industry is reliant on tourists having a good experience. Infrastructure plays an important and often overlooked part in the efficient running of tourism operations. 

It is hoped that the lasting legacy of the investments made for the G20 will be of benefit to both local people and the tourism sector, in turn, this would improve the experience of travelers to Bali. While not everyone will have access to the VVIP terminal, the big picture improvements to the airport will make passenger experience that bit better.

Earlier in 2022 Bali Airport management announced that 5G coverage had been rolled across the domestic terminal for free use. They confirmed that there are plans to roll out 5G coverage to the international terminal as soon as possible.

Bali Airport has been a hive of activity since the reopening of borders in February 2022. Tourism numbers have increased by over 1000% in the first quarter of 2022 and are largely due to the relaxation of travel restrictions. Indonesia’s visa on arrival program is now available for travelers from 72 countries and the pre-arrival PCR test for vaccinated travelers has been scrapped.