The State News Agency ANTARA and Kompas report that Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is calling for an accelerated approach to the construction of an airport in Bali’s north.
The North Bali Airport would be located in the Kubutambahan area of Buleleng Regency and is part of a larger government strategy to geographically diversify economic activities in Bali by creating new growth centers that will result in a more equitable pattern of development.
Growing current support for the airport project emerged following a meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and the President Commissioner of PT Pembangunan Bali Mandiri (Pembari), Baringin Panggabean, at the Presidential Retreat in Hambalang, West Java, held on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi also attended the West Java meeting. The meeting’s agenda reviewed a presentation regarding the North Bali Airport Project, which now forms a part of the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term 5-year Development Plan (RPJMN) as stipulated under Presidential Regulation Number 12 of 2025.
PT Pembangunan Bali Mandiri (Pembari) is a company established to develop modern aviation infrastructure in North Bali.
President Prabowo has expressed his support for the swift realization of a North Bali Airport that he views as a strategically important project. What would become, once built, Bali’s second international airport is viewed as vital and increasingly urgent due to the increasing number of tourists visiting the Island and the fact that the Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in south Bali is nearing the limits of its carrying capacity. The successful operation of the new airport in the northern region of Bali is targeted to reduce the operational burden on Ngurah Rai Airport while also easing access to tourism destinations in the North Bali region.
In reviewing the airport project, the President paid close attention to several technical aspects, especially the airport’s ability to accommodate wide-body aircraft. The President asked if the new North Bali Airport would be capable of serving wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777 and Super Jumbo Airbus A380. Responding to Prabowo, the Pembari President Commissioner, Baringin Panggabean, said the airport design has always contemplated the ability to accommodate wide-body aircraft. Panggabean added that the Directorate General of Air Transportation has already approved the initial design and feasibility study for the airport.
Plans for the North Bali Airport call for financing to be accomplished through private investment, without resorting to funding from the National Budget (APBN) or the Regional Provincial Budget (APBD). Through a private funding scheme, the government hopes that the realization of the new airport can proceed quickly without burdening state and regional government finances.
Boosting economic growth in the region, the North Bali Airport is expected to be a driving force for new economic growth in the northern, western, and eastern regions of the Island of Bali.
In addition to improving overall connectivity, this project is projected to help distribute economic activities that have heretofore been concentrated in southern Bali. The new airport is also expected to create new jobs and stimulate the development of the tourism, trade, and service sectors, particularly in Buleleng Regency and the surrounding areas. Through this major infrastructure development project, the government aims to achieve a more equitable development pattern by improving the welfare of the people of North Bali.
Related Links
PT Pembangun Bali Mandiri Website
Bali Governor and Transportation Minister Discuss North Bali Airport and Water Taxi
Bali’s Airport Upgrading to Handle 32 Million Passengers Annually
Aviation Maintenance and Training Hub Planned for North Bali
Why a North Bali Airport Won’t Work
President Prabowo: Bali the ‘New Singapore’
Megawati Says ‘No’ to North Bali Airport
Plans for New Airport in NW Bali Opposed
North Bali Airport in a Holding Pattern
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