H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin International Airport(IATA: TJQ, ICAO: WIKT), formerly known as Buluh Tumbang Airport, is the main airport serving Tanjung Pandan, the largest town on Belitung Island in the Bangka Belitung Islands province of Indonesia. Named after Haji Ahmad Sanusi Hanandjoeddin, a pioneer of the Indonesian Air Force from Belitung and a former regent of Belitung Regency, it is the island’s only airport and the primary gateway for air travel. The airport currently offers domestic flights to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and Pangkal Pinang, the provincial capital. It previously operated international flights to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Singapore, but these services were terminated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the airport’s international status was revoked in 2024. However, its international status was reinstated in 2025.
In addition to serving as a commercial airport, the airport is also the site of the H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Air Force Base, a Type C facility of the Indonesian Air Force.
History
The airport was built in the early 1940s during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in the Pacific Theater of World War II. To support their military operations, the occupying forces collaborated with employees of the Dutch tin mining company Billiton Maatschappij and local residents to construct an airfield in Buluh Tumbang.[3] The facility was intended to enhance Japan’s strategic and logistical capabilities on Belitung Island during the occupation.[4] Construction of the airstrip began in 1943, using the forced labor of local residents from Buluh Tumbang and nearby villages under the Japanese-imposed romusha system. Despite the harsh conditions, this labor produced a basic but functional airstrip capable of accommodating Japanese aircraft. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, its troops withdrew from Belitung Island in August, leaving the airstrip in Buluh Tumbang behind without formally handing it over to any authority.[5]
On October 18, 1945, a Dutch PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft landed in Belitung, bringing three Dutch nationals, former employees of Billiton Maatschappij, to resume the island’s tin mining operations.[6] The reestablishment of Billiton Maatschappij on Belitung Island significantly influenced the development of the Buluh Tumbang Airstrip, transforming it into a crucial transportation hub, primarily serving Dutch interests. Over time, Billiton Maatschappij took control of the airstrip, while the Dutch airline KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf set up a branch in Belitung, operating Douglas DC-3 aircraft.[5]
Following the Dutch withdrawal from Belitung and the transfer of sovereignty to the newly formed Indonesian government, Buluh Tumbang Airport was initially placed under the management of the Public Works Department. In 1954, administrative control was handed over to the Civil Aviation Service, which later became the Directorate General of Civil Aviation under the Ministry of Transportation.[3] On April 11, 1958, the Indonesian Air Force began operations in Tanjungpandan with the establishment of an Air Force Liaison Detachment based at the airport.[5] The detachment was later elevated to the status of an airbase in 1966.
In 1998, the airport was renamed to its current name in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Haji Ahmad Sanusi Hanandjoeddin, a native of Belitung who served as a pilot and officer in the Indonesian Air Force during the National Revolution. He later went on to serve as the regent of Belitung.[5]
In 2017, to accommodate the growing number of foreign tourists visiting Belitung, the airport was upgraded to international status.[7] The following year, Garuda Indonesia launched the first international route from Tanjung Pandan to Singapore using a Bombardier CRJ-1000.[8] In 2019, AirAsia followed by opening a route to Kuala Lumpur with an Airbus A320.[9] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all international flights were suspended in 2020, and the airport was temporarily closed for several months to help contain the spread of the virus.[10][11] As international flights failed to resume, the airport’s international status was revoked in April 2024,[12] but it was reinstated in 2025.[13]
In 2019, management of the airport was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to Angkasa Pura II, which has since been rebranded as InJourney Airports.[14]
Facilities and development
The airport has a single terminal with an annual capacity of 250,000 passengers.[15] A minor renovation was carried out in 2022 to prepare for the G20 Ministerial Meeting held in Belitung.[16]
On the airside, the airport features a runway measuring 2,500 m by 45 m, extended from its previous length of 2,250 m in 2023.[17] This runway is capable of accommodating narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. Additionally, the airport has two taxiways, each measuring 67 m by 23 m, and an apron spanning 235 m by 87 m.[1]
Plans are currently underway to revitalize the airport in response to the growing number of passengers and increasing air traffic. As part of the development, the apron will be relocated and integrated with a new terminal equipped with jet bridges.[18] Spanning an area of up to 420 hectares, the new terminal is projected to accommodate up to six million passengers annually over the next 30 years. The first phase of the development includes the construction of the new terminal and the upgrading of existing infrastructure, such as runway resurfacing, installation of jet bridges, and enhancements to administrative facilities. An estimated 800 billion rupiah has been allocated to support this development initiative.[18]
On 19 April 1997, a British Aerospace ATP aircraft owned by Merpati Airlines, flight number 106, crashed while approaching the airport . The aircraft reportedly went into a steep left bank as it descended through 2,000 feet (610m). The crew lost control of the plane, and it crashed breaking into three pieces. Twelve passengers and three crew members died in the accident. Investigation found one of the propellers to be feathered.[20]
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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