As a project that was only in the last 18 months fully taken off the list of possibilities and branded by many as a wild pipedream, the North Bali International Airport is not only back on the cards but projected to start being built as early as 2027 according to top officials in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir, has spoken to the media about how the plans for the major new international airport are rapidly coming together.
He is anticipating construction on North Bali International Airport to start by 2027 at the latest if it is to be completed in time to support I Gusti Ngurah Rai International when its capacity is surpassed.
Minister Thohir told the media, “If there are 32 million [passengers] in 2029-2030, it means that there needs to be a plan to start construction in 2027. [We can’t] say, ‘oh, it’s still a long time until [we reach] 32 million.'”
He added, “[If] we just [begin thinking] to start construction in 2029, it would be too late.”
The Minister also nods to President Prabowo Subianto’s comments that the airport would be on par with Hong Kong and Singapore in terms of its modern facilities and stake in the Southeast Asian aviation sector.
He touched on broader government intentions to transform North Bali as an economic hub that mirrors the global impact and influence held by both Hong Kong and Singapore.
Minister Thorhir did not comment on his involvement in the decision-making process for identifying the final landscape for the airport but said that both the rental government and provincial government would be working together to create a solution that works best.
He told reporters, “That means the decision on the development of an additional airport in Bali is up to the central government and regional administrations; we are just a corporation. Construction must start in 2027.”
The North Bali International Airport complex will ultimately see a whole new city built in Buleleng Regency.
According to plans shared by PT BIBU Panji Sakti, the company spearheading the project, the site will also see the development of an aerotropolis.
Speaking earlier this month, the President Director of PT BIBU Panji Sakti, Erwanto Sad Adiatmoko Hariwibowo, explained that land agreements are in the process of being secured with traditional village leaders in the Kubutambahan area and that the development of the airport and aerotropolis is intended to benefit communities for generations to come.
Hariwibowo explained, “This is a new concept of cooperation. The land is not lost; the [ownership] certificate is still theirs.”
The North Bali International Airport aerotropolis will be a new cityscape featuring housing in the first phase, followed by the development of schools, hospitals, and other city infrastructure.
The airport runway will be built on reclaimed land offshore from Buleleng, as stated by Hariwibowo, “Well, for the airport, it can’t be on the ground. How can we make a 3 km straight runway and not hit the temple? In Bali, it is not possible. That’s why we made the airport on the sea, but the supporting city on the sea.”
With land agreements in process and funding agreements secured, Minister Thorhir’s prediction that construction will be well underway by 2027 is set to come to fruition.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks for the project for years has been securing the monumental amount of funding needed to make it happen.
Progress has been made on that front, too, as on the 8th of November, PT BIBU Panji Sakti and ChangYe Construction Group from China signed an MOU to develop the North Bali International Airport.
As outlined in the agreement, Chang Ye Construction Group will invest USD 3 billion to build the airport from start to finish. During its first phase of development, the North Bali International Airport will be able to support 32 million passengers annually, with a maximum capacity of over 50 million to be available by completion.
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