Published on September 15, 2014
Today, 15 September, President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono will officially open the brand new airport of Sepinggan, Balikpapan, renaming it : the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman, Sepinggan Balikpapan Airport, in honor of the 18th Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. The ceremony is held concurrently in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Angkasa Pura I, holding company of aiports in Indonesia’s Western area.
The new Balikpapan terminal is built on the concept of eco-airport and eco-building, said Tommy Soetomo, President Director of PT Angkasa Pura I, and is planned to accommodate 15 million passengers per year. This is a quantum leap when compared to the old airport which had a capacity of only 1.7 million passengers, but which in 2013 already received 7.1 million passengers, that was definitely way over its carrying capacity.
This is the first airport in Indonesia to incorporate a boutique mall in its terminal and has an open check in area to improve our passenger service level, said President Director Tommy Soetomo.
The new Sultan Aji Balikpapan airport now has 11 gates, 76 check-in counters and 8 conveyor belts. The airport will apply Airport Operatation Database (AODB) and the sophisticated level 4 Hold Baggage Screening (HBS). Cars will be parked on 4 floors in the parking building that can take up to 2,300 cars.
As an eco-airport and an eco-building the Terminal will be planted with trees and foliage , LED lights and recycling water.
With an apron covering 140,972 square meters and a commercial area of 33,000 square meters, Sepinggan Airport is today the largest airport in the Eastern Part of Indonesia.
Garuda Indonesia and SilkAir serve Balikpapan direct from Singapore. While all major domestic airlines operate to Balikpapan from all main cities in Indonesia.
Balikpapan is also the gateway to the fabulous diving spots in the Derawan archipelago.
Balikpapan, which is renowned as one of Indonesia’s oil cities, has until now predominantly relied on its production and export of oil and coal.Today the Government has decided to shift its orientatiion to other sectors including trade, agriculture, industry, services, and tourism. All these are incorporated in the Economic Acceleration Plan of East Kalimantan.
Although the capital of the province of East Kalimantan is Samarinda, yet Balikpapan is the busiest city in the province since here is the center of business and mining.
Address of the Sepinggan Balikpapan Airport is :
Jalan Marsma R. Iswahyudi
Balikpapan 76116
East Kalimantan.
Telephone : +62542 766886
Website : www.sepinggan-airport.com
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