Govt eyes north Bali air hub through Lt. Col. Wisnu Airfield expansion

Denpasar (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has backed plans to expand Lt. Col. Wisnu Airfield in Buleleng District, transforming it into an air transport hub for northern Bali to ease pressure on the Ngurah Rai International Airport.

“This is about developing an existing airport. We hope to realize the initiative to enable northern Bali to grow and keep up with southern Bali,” Purwagandhi said during a meeting with Bali Governor Wayan Koster in Denpasar on Saturday.

Purwagandhi stated that the initiative underscores the central government’s commitment to addressing Bali’s transport bottlenecks, citing Ngurah Rai’s capacity constraints and inadequate maritime transport connectivity amid rising tourism demand.

The minister also confirmed that the government has officially shelved long-delayed plans to construct the multibillion-dollar North Bali International Airport in Kubutambahan, Buleleng, effectively ending years of public and political debate over the greenfield project.

"I can assure you that Lt. Col. Wisnu Airfield in Buleleng will be our sole focus, especially since land and environmental concerns have largely been resolved," Purwagandhi said.

To accelerate the project, the Transportation Ministry plans to invite private sector companies to invest in the airfield’s infrastructure development.

Governor Koster stated that the provincial government has already initiated preparatory measures for the expansion, including establishing a state-owned regional business entity and drafting land acquisition frameworks.

“Our plan is to develop Lt. Col. Wisnu Airfield into a special-purpose airport, capable of handling emergency diversions if issues arise at Ngurah Rai,” Koster explained.

He added that the upgraded airfield is also expected to accommodate private jets, chartered flights, and air cargo logistics to strengthen the province's overall aviation network.

“We hope that Lt. Col. Wisnu Airport will help resolve air traffic issues in Bali. At present, we have no plans to build another commercial facility akin to Ngurah Rai,” Koster said, adding that the local administration remains highly open to international and domestic investors.

Translator: Ni Putu Putri, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono

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