Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport Bandar Udara Internasional Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman
Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport apron
IATA: BPN – ICAO: WALL
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	PT Angkasa Pura I
Serves	Balikpapan
Location	Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Elevation AMSL	12 ft / 4 m
Coordinates	01°16′06″S 116°53′40″E / 1.26833°S 116.89444°E / -1.26833; 116.89444
Website	http://www.sepinggan-airport.com/
Map
BPN Location of airport in Indonesia
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 07/25 8,185 2,500 Asphalt
Statistics (2013)
Passengers 5,680,961 Aircraft movements 63,389 Cargo Traffic 45,124
Source: List of the busiest airports in Indonesia

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport,^[1][2] (IATA: BPN, ICAO: WALL), formerly named Sepinggan Airport, is the principal airport serving East Kalimantan area on the island of Kalimantan, Indonesia. The airport began its new operational phase in 1997, with new building and runway structure, replacing old structure on the same site.

With numerous buildings located around the airport and its only runway jutting out into the settlement, landings at the airport are dramatic to experience and technically demanding for pilots.^[3][4]

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport is the 6th busiest airport in Indonesia and the busiest airport in Kalimantan^[5] and Borneo, but the traffic continues to fall sharply.^[6] From October to December 2014 (in 5-15 million passengers capacity category), Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport becomes the world's 16th best in Airport Service Quality or the best in Southeast Asia by Airport Council International survey among 79 airports with passengers capacity between 5-15 million a year.^[7]

History

The current terminal while it was still under construction

The construction of Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport started in the Dutch colonial era before Indonesian independence. It was used mainly for the Dutch Oil Company's activities in the Balikpapan area. The airport soon became public and commercial after its management was handed over to Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Udara of Republic Indonesia in 1960. Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport was finally managed by Perum Angkasa Pura I (PT Angkasa Pura I on present day) due to Government Regulation (PP) No.1 on 9 January 1987.

Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport had been renovated twice from 1991 to 1997. The first phase was started in 1991 and ended in 1994, to renovate the taxiway, passenger and cargo terminals and lengthen the runway. In 1995, the Indonesian government announced Sultan Aji Muhamad Sulaiman Airport as the fifth Indonesian hajj embarkation airport for Kalimantan region which also consists West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan province.

The second phase renovation took place in 1996 to renovate the hangars, fuel depots and the administration buildings. The second phase was finished and the airport started its new operational era with the new buildings and facilities in 1997.

The new terminal was tested on 22 March 2014 with capacity 10 million passengers per year in 110,000-meter square area with Rp2 trillion ($178 million) investment as the biggest airport in East Indonesia which overcame the overcapacity of 7.1 million passengers last year in only 1.7 million capacity of old terminal. The Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Eco-Airport is equipped with recycling water plant, air condition control of energy efficiency, using as much as it can of sun lighting, has 11 trunk alleys, 74 check-in counters, 8 conveyor belts, 140,900-meter square apron, 2,300 parking lot in multi storey building.^[8] The new terminal is formally opened on September 15, 2014.^[9]

Timeline

Facade of the old terminal, now used for charter and rural services

• Pre-Independence: Used by the Dutch oil company, Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij (BPM)^[10]
• 1960: Airport operation handed to the Bureau of Civil Aviation, hereinafter referred to as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation
• January 1987: Airport management transferred to Perum Angkasa Pura I
• 1991: Development project for airport facilities and aviation safety initiated (Phase 1)
• August 1993: Test operations begin
• September 1993: Airport officially opened
• 1995: Officially designated as the 5th Hajj Embarkation airport
• 1996–1997: Development project for airport facilities and aviation safety initiated (Phase 2)
• August 1997: Officially launched by the 2nd President of Indonesia, Suharto
• July 2011: New passenger terminal construction initiated
• 2012: Cargo terminal move to new building initiated.
• 2012: Office of Administration, Finance & Commercial move to new offices in the two-story building that has been built as a support facility for the Development Project of Sultan Aji Muhamad Sulaiman Airport.
• March 2014: New terminal building tested
• September 2014: Officially opened new terminal building by the 6th President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono^[11]

Airport Cinema

For the first time in Indonesia on July 13, 2016, the airport has Airport Cinema with capacity of 15 persons for free. Provided by Blu Ray quality image and satin class sofa, but the film is old film from year 2000 and behind. Time schedule is 07.00-09.00, 11.00-13.00, 15.00-17.00, and 19.00-21.00 Wita.^[12]

Airlines and destinations

1. ↑ Garuda Indonesia flight from Balikpapan to Jeddah includes a stop-over at Medan. However, Garuda Indonesia does not have rights to transport passengers solely between Balikpapan and Medan.

Cargo airlines

Gallery

• 
  Interior of the old terminal
• 

Accidents and incidents

• On 7 December 2014, a Lion Air aircraft went into steep climb shortly after landing during inclement weather of Balikpapan. The airport was closed for 3 hours.^[20]
• On 8 August 2013, a PT Intan Angkasa Servis Bell 506LI flew too low close to Balikpapan residential buildings because of bad weather of Balikpapan. Residents looked that it want to crash. After more than 5 minutes, it attempted an emergency land on a small yard surrounded by settlement.^[21]
• On 12 March 2012, a Batavia Air A320 overran the runway onto the ground and the landing gears sank into the soil. The airport was closed for 2 hours, and the aircraft was evacuated the next day. Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air have overran the runway since 2007.^[22]
• On 23 October 2011, a Lion Air B737-900 continued off the end of the runway into the bush and the landing gears sank into the soil. The airport was closed for 8 hours, and the aircraft was evacuated the next day.^[23]
• On 13 November 2007, an Asko Hughes 500 struck a hill after takeoff. All on board were injured and shocked. The helicopter sustained severe damage, and was evacuated few days later.^[24]
• On 19 February 2006, a Batavia Air aircraft was unable to stop before the runway ran out, skidded off and nearly went over the airport's perimeter. The landing gears sank into the soil. Witnesses said that the cause of the accident is not mechanical or human failure. The airport was closed for 3 hours, and the aircraft was evacuated few days later.^[25]
• On 5 November 2003, a Garuda Indonesia aircraft skidded off the runway.^[26]
• On 19 October 2000, an Awair A310 was burnt immediately after touch down.^[27]
• On 4 July 1988, Vickers Viscount PK-IVW of Bouraq Indonesia Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair when the starboard and nose gear collapsed during a tailwind landing.^[28]

References

External links

Media related to Sepinggan International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Persero Angkasa Pura I official site
• Airport information for WALL at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.