Fatmawati Soekarno Airport(IATA: BKS, ICAO: WIGG), formerly known as Padang Kemiling Airport, is a domestic airport serving the city of Bengkulu, the capital and largest city in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. Located approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) from the city center, the airport is named after Fatmawati Soekarno (1923–1980), Indonesia’s former First Lady, a national hero, and a key figure in the country’s independence movement. She was the wife of Soekarno, Indonesia’s first president, who was born in Bengkulu. The airport serves as the primary gateway to both Bengkulu city and the province as a whole. It offers direct flights to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, as well as to regional destinations such as Padang and Bandar Lampung, and to smaller cities including Mukomuko and Pagar Alam.
Fatmawati Soekarno Airport was built during the Japanese occupation around 1943–1944 for the purpose of supporting Japanese air defense operations during World War II. The construction was carried out through romusha (forced labor), with an initial runway length of 1,100 meters and a width of 30 meters. After Japan was defeated by the Allies and withdrew from Indonesia, the airport was taken over by the Indonesian Air Force. In 1949, following the departure of the Dutch from Indonesia, the airport began operating as a civilian airport in 1950 under the name Padang Kemiling Airport, managed by the Civil Aviation Service, later known as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. At that time, the airport could only accommodate Douglas DC-3 aircraft.[3]
In 1952, development efforts included the addition of a grass-surfaced taxiway and apron, enabling the airport to handle Fokker F27 aircraft in limited capacity. In 1960, a passenger terminal and office facilities measuring 540 m² were constructed. Between 1974 and 1975, the runway was extended to 1,800 meters, allowing Fokker F27 aircraft to operate at full capacity. In 1982/1983, the runway was overlaid, making it capable of accommodating Fokker F28 aircraft in limited capacity. Another overlay was completed between 1991 and 1992, allowing Fokker F28 aircraft to land at full capacity.[3]
Further development of the airport continued with the extension of the runway to 1,900 meters in 1996/1997. In 2001, the terminal building was expanded to 1,776 m², and the airport was officially renamed Fatmawati Soekarno Airport through the Decree of the Minister of Transportation No. KP.185 of 2001, dated July 18, 2001. The name change was proposed by the Governor and the people of Bengkulu as a tribute to Fatmawati Soekarno, a key figure in Indonesia’s independence movement. The terminal was further expanded in 2002 to 2,180 m². The airport entered a new phase of growth in 2004 with the extension of the runway to 2,250 meters. On November 30, 2004, the name "Fatmawati Soekarno Airport" was officially inaugurated by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the daughter of Fatmawati.[3]
Expansion efforts continued in 2006, including the enlargement of the terminal to 3,324 m² and the widening of the runway from 30 to 45 meters. Since then, the runway has measured 2,250 meters by 45 meters, which was again extended to 2,500 meters and has been capable of handling all types of Boeing 737 Classic aircraft. Today, Fatmawati Soekarno Airport is supported by adequate infrastructure, including an asphalt concrete runway with a PCN (Pavement Classification Number) of 40 F/C/X/T. This allows it to safely accommodate not only Boeing 737 Classic aircraft but also newer-generation planes such as the Boeing 737-900ER, Airbus A320, and similar types.[3]
In 2019, the management of the airport was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to Angkasa Pura II, which was later rebranded as InJourney Airports.[4]
Facilities and development
Construction of a new terminal began in 2018 under the directive of then-President Joko Widodo to address increasing passenger traffic, as the existing terminal had become overcrowded and operating beyond its capacity.[5] The project, which is being carried out in two phases, aims to accommodate up to 5.6 million passengers and upgrade the airport to international status, enabling the launch of new international routes to Malaysia and Singapore.[6] The total investment for the development is estimated at approximately 622.6 billion rupiah.[7] However, construction of the new terminal has been delayed, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which funds originally allocated for the airport were redirected to pandemic response efforts.[8] As of 2024, overall progress has reached only 40%.[9] Due to the stalled construction, several parts of the terminal have deteriorated from a lack of maintenance.[10]
Due to limited space for future expansion, there has been a long-term proposal to construct a new airport in Seluma Regency to eventually replace Fatmawati Soekarno Airport. The new airport is planned to be built on a 500 to 700-hectare plot of land owned by Perkebunan Nusantara VII, located in Sukaraja District.[11] Once the new airport becomes operational, the existing airport is expected to be converted into a military airbase for either the Indonesian Air Force or the Indonesian Navy.[12][13]
On 7 November 2018, Lion Air Flight 633, scheduled to fly from Bengkulu to Jakarta, struck a lamp post with its left wingtip while taxiing for takeoff. The impact caused damage to the wingtip, forcing the aircraft to return to the terminal. Although none of the 143 passengers and 7 crew members were injured, the incident resulted in delays for several other flights.[21][22]
Names in bold are international airports; names of international airports marked with ‡ have Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility Names of airports marked with ⬠ are exclusively or also served as military airbases
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