The government has upgraded 19 airports to international status, bringing the total to 36, following President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to maximize tourism revenue.

The question remains: will adding more international airports deliver the expected impact?

Hariyadi Sukamdani, Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI), welcomed the move, saying it expands access and could significantly increase tourist arrivals.

“Adding international airports adds facilities and access to enter Indonesia. This will naturally boost visitor numbers,” he told SUAR, Monday (11/8/2025).

Even so, Hariyadi stressed the need for active roles from local governments and tourism businesses to prevent the international status from being revoked. He noted that some airports previously lost their status due to minimal flight activity—a scenario that must not be repeated.

“The key is the airport. But if local operators cannot bring in guests, the international status will end up being removed again,” he said.

Hariyadi emphasized that a destination’s success hinges on promotion and event hosting. He contrasted Lake Toba, where tourist visits have reportedly declined, with Sabang, which has seen an increase.

The difference, he said, is relentless promotion by Sabang’s tourism operators—even though the city’s main attraction is relatively limited to diving.

“Why is Sabang up? Because the tourism businesses there are diligent about promotion. In fact, Sabang is harder since it mainly offers diving,” he said.

Aviation analyst Alvin Lie cited data analyzed by the Indonesian Air Transport Users Association (APJAPI) showing that the growing number of international airports has not been effective in attracting foreign tourists. Movement data for foreign nationals from 2023 to May 2025 indicate that 90% of foreign passenger traffic is concentrated at just two airports: Soekarno–Hatta (CGK) and Ngurah Rai (DPS).

According to him, Ngurah Rai accounts for more than 66% of foreign arrivals per year on average, while Soekarno–Hatta contributes around 24%. Other airports such as Juanda and Kualanamu each contribute only 1%–3% consistently. Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) reached just over 1% in 2023.

“The disparity is very wide. It shows that the presence of other international airports has not been effective in bringing in foreign visitors,” he told SUAR (9/8/2025).

He argued the main issue is that these regions are not promoting their attractions in the countries served by direct flights. “How will tourists be interested if they don’t know the destination’s appeal? This proves that many international airports do not help attract foreign guests—they mainly facilitate Indonesians traveling abroad,” he said.

He added that most international airports only serve routes to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, effectively making them feeders for Changi and KLIA.

Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Civil Aviation, said the policy is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita platform, focused on equitable development and economic growth. The additions, he said, are not merely about numbers but a concrete effort to open international access to the regions.

“Designation of international airports is carried out in a measured way, considering infrastructure readiness, potential for international air services, and links to the intermodal transport system. This is a concrete step toward equitable, safe, reliable, and competitive international air access,” Lukman said.

Under Minister of Transportation Decrees KM 26/2025 and KM 30/2025, the five airports newly designated as international are:

• Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II (Palembang)
• H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin (Bangka Belitung)
• Jenderal Ahmad Yani (Semarang)
• Syamsuddin Noor (Banjarmasin)
• Supadio (Pontianak)

Subsequently, KM 37/2025 and KM 38/2025 added more, bringing the total to 36 international airports.

Responding to the government’s plan, Alvin Lie proposed requiring regions with international-airport status to conduct sustained overseas promotion.

“Make it a condition for designating airports to serve international routes. If they don’t promote, there’s no need to be ‘international’,” he said.