The Bali Media/A Lion Air plane parked at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has commenced a runway maintenance project involving the resurfacing of the entire runway. The work, which began this month, is expected to take 10 months to complete.
The overlay will cover the full 3,000-meter length and 45-meter width of the runway. According to the airport management authority, the project’s goal is to maintain the runway’s structural integrity, ensuring the airport continues to meet essential safety and operational standards.
Why is Ngurah Rai’s Runway Closing?
“Where, during the aircraft’s take-off or landing process, a flat and sturdy surface with a certain level of strength is required, as stipulated in flight safety,” he added.
Syaugi also stated that in the last two years, the management of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport has focused on revitalization and optimization of the landside area, which includes the terminal, access roads within the airport complex, and the construction of pedestrian bridges (JPO).
This year, the airport management is striving to improve airport performance in the airside area, specifically the runway.
Bali – One of Indonesia’s Largest Hubs
Ngurah Rai Airport is Indonesia’s second-busiest airport, with 142,000 aircraft movements recorded in 2024, averaging 388 movements per day. The airport also regularly handles international flights with large aircraft like the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A380-800. This maintenance is vital to safely and efficiently support these large aircraft.
“With continuously increasing flight traffic every year and the choice of wide-body aircraft used by airlines, especially for long-haul flights, we designed the runway pavement to have resistance to high temperatures and heavy traffic loads,” he said.
Syaugi, a representative of the airport management, emphasized the importance of this overlay given the high volume of international traffic and the frequent use of wide-body aircraft.
“Currently, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport is the only airport in Indonesia that serves regular flights for the world’s largest aircraft, the A388,” he explained.
How Will Passengers be Affected?
To keep airport activities running smoothly, the airport operator is working closely with AirNav Indonesia, Denpasar branch, and airline operators. The runway will experience temporary closures during specific hours to allow the maintenance to proceed without compromising flight safety.
“We have also issued a notice to airmen (NOTAMN) because during the overlay work, we will temporarily close the runway from 2:00 AM WITA to 7:00 AM WITA,” said Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, on Tuesday (July 15).
Airport officials stressed that these closures are planned to have minimal operational impact, and all involved parties have been notified in advance to adjust their flight schedules accordingly.
