North Bali Airport Could Be Sidelined Further Despite Presidential Election Promises

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It has been a big week for Indonesian politics as the new government has been sworn in, and new minister have taken up their posts.

As the new Tourism Minister and Deputy Tourism Minister have stepped into their roles, tourism leaders in the province have been talking to the press about future plans, including updates on the highly contentious North Bali Airport.

New President Prabowo Subianto visited Buleleng Regency in Bali during his presidential election campaign. He spoke passionately with local communities about finally getting North Bali Airport up and running as a project.

The project has been on and off the card for nearly a decade, with some in ardent support of the development and others firmly against it. 

@kyu00055 Finally hello bali 😍🛬 #bali #ngurahraiinternationalairport #citlink #holiday ♬ Landing di Bali – Faizal Maulana

Speaking to the media and electorates in February 2024, President Subianto said of North Bali Airport, “We must not depend on one facility. If something happens, one airport cannot be used; there must be a backup airport.”

He was clear that under his presidency, the airport would be developed and constructed in a way that aligns with Balinese values.

He noted, “The Balinese personality must be preserved; the buildings must all have Balinese characteristics. Don’t go around building large buildings. I really believe in this.”

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However, just a few days into the new government, top tourism officials in Bali have spoken to the media about how the project is no longer an urgent matter.

The Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board, Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, told repeaters that there are more important areas of focus for Bali and for tourists in the sector, aside from North Bali Airport. 

Adnyana explained, “I don’t see any urgency for North Bali Airport. In fact, tourism has many urgent problems, for example, related to the behavior of tourists who have been acting strangely lately.”

He added that the scale of the North Bali Airport plans would be difficult to achieve in a single term for President Subianto, even if all reuses were thrown at the project. 

@faizalmaulana_22 Salah satu tempat terindah saat landing 😍🛬 #Bali ♬ Landing di Bali – Faizal Maulana

Adnyana added that current efforts to shift the focus of the tourism sector away from South Bali are more important than developing a second airport.

He feels that the development of a second airport should be discussed once tourism is more developed in other regions of Bali rather than leading with a new airport and building demand around it. 

He explained, “My suggestion is that the moratorium is enough to spread tourism. So South Bali is closed [for development], so people are opening businesses outside of South Bali. That’s temporary; maybe it’s more effective [than North Bali Airport].”

Adnyana said that he wants to see the new tourism ministers deliver on plans to implement a tourism standard certification program to help further level up tourism experiences across the province.

While Adnyana, as the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board, is not too focused on developing North Bali Airport anytime soon. The Deputy Chairman of the Hotels and Restaurants Association for Bali, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, has spoken to reporters about his hopes for the project to be developed as soon as possible.

The Bali Hotels and Restaurants Association is a hugely influential organization in Bali, and political leaders often take the opinions and demands of the union into account. 

Suryawijaya says that as I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport starts to reach its annual capacity, a second airport must be developed to be ready for the time when Bali’s only commercial airport reaches full operations capacity.

He explained, “Flashback to the fact that the airport in South Bali, namely I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, can accommodate a capacity of 30 million passengers per year. Currently, it has almost reached 27 million passengers per year. This (North Bali Airport) does need to be considered.”

He’s calling either for a seance runway at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International and additional developments to the terminal buildings or to develop North Bali Airport.

Suryawijaya explained, “If it is to the west, it is the sea, if it is reclaimed, it will certainly cause abrasion and will be rejected; if it is expanded to the north, the cost will be greater because there are already many tourist areas and the price does not allow us to provide compensation,” he said.

He added, “To the south is also impossible because there are traditional villages and temples that are sacred areas. To the east, it is also impossible to develop because there is already a toll road. Therefore, the only alternative that needs to be considered at this time is the airport in North Bali.”