Construction Of North Bali Airport Could Be Delayed… Again

written by Admin

October 26, 2024

The construction of a North Bali Airport has been stopped and restarted for almost a decade. 

While some say it’s an absolutely necessary development for Bali to flourish, others argue that it would only develop the north and would do nothing to alleviate pressure on I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. 

Feasibility Questioned and Project Suspended

There have been several criticisms of the project’s viability. Initially, the plans detailed an onshore airport. However, the project was condemned when it appeared that construction would destroy 33 Hindu temples, 121 historical sites, homes, roads, and rice fields. 

Since then, intentions shifted to building an offshore airport at Kubutambahan, at the northernmost tip of the island. This has also been criticised, and several feasibility studies have been ordered. 

In 2022, President Joko Widodo admitted that insufficient progress was made on the project, and in 2023 it was shelved altogether by the 5th President of Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri. 

New Hope for Project with President-Elect

However, in 2024, reports suggested that hope was rekindled when then-President-Elect Prabowo Subianto expressly supported the project. 

Speaking to electorates and the media in February 2024, he said, “We must not depend on one facility. If something happens and one airport cannot be used, there must be a backup airport.”

Government Takes Office and Project is Shelved Again 

However, as the new government takes its seat on October 20, 2024, it appears that the project has once again been sidelined. 

Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board, has told reporters that there are more pressing matters than the construction of a north Bali airport. 

In Adnyana’s view, tourism should first be encouraged in other areas of Bali to relieve the overcrowding in the South, and then a second airport should be built to accommodate those areas. 

Adnyana said that he would rather see the new tourism ministers deliver on their promises to introduce certification for tourism standards. He suggests that the level of tourism experiences should be improved across the province before any implementation of an airport. 

Disagreement from Bali’s Powerful Union

However, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, the Deputy Chairman of the Hotels and Restaurants Association for Bali, has told reporters that he hopes to see the proposal developed as soon as possible. 

He says, “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.”

Suryawijaya suggests that either the airport in the south is further developed with improved functionality and a second runway, or a northern Bali airport is constructed. 

He explains that building the airport offshore on the West of the island is infeasible due to potential abrasion caused by construction, but it is also impossible to build on the north of the island due to existing developments. They simply would not be able to afford the compensation due to its inhabitants to build there. 

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.”

Since the Hotels and Restaurants Association for Bali is one of the most influential unions on the island, it remains to be seen what movements the government will make. 

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Admin

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