Sam Ratulangi International Airport(IATA: MDC, ICAO: WAMM) is an international airport located 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) north-east of Manado, the capital city of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Sam Ratulangi Airport serves as the primary gateway to Manado and the North Sulawesi region. Named after Gerungan Saul Samuel "Sam" Jacob Ratulangi (1890-1949), a respected Minahasan educator, independence hero, and national figure, the airport is one of the major airports in Eastern Indonesia and plays a vital role in both domestic and international travel. It has been designated by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Indonesia as one of the country's 11 main entry points. The airport also serves as the main access point to Bunaken National Park, a renowned diving destination. Currently, it functions as an operational base for Lion Air and Wings Air in northeastern Indonesia, with regular domestic flights to major cities including Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, and Denpasar, as well as scheduled international services to destinations in Asia such as China and Singapore. It is the second-largest airport in Sulawesi, after Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, and one of only two international airports on the island.
In addition to functioning as a commercial airport, Sam Ratulangi Airport also hosts Sam Ratulangi Air Force Base, a Type A airbase of the Indonesian Air Force,[3] as well as a Type B naval airbase under the Indonesian Navy's Naval Aviation Center (Puspenerbal).[4] The military facilities are located to the east of the passenger terminal, across the runway. Their strategic importance stems from the airport’s proximity to the Indonesian–Philippines border.
To defend the Langowan and Mapanget airfields from Japanese attacks, the Dutch deployed the Manado Troop Command (Troepencommando Manado) under the leadership of Major B. F. A. Schilmoller. Despite these efforts, both airfields were captured by Japanese paratroopers on January 12, 1942, during the Battle of Manado.[5] Following their capture, the Japanese converted Mapanget Airfield into a command base for military operations targeting Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi. The runway at Mapanget was subsequently widened and extended to accommodate Mitsubishi G3M bomber aircraft.[5]
In April 1958, Mapanget Airfield was seized by the Permesta rebels, with covert support from the CIA. Operating from this base, Permesta fighter aircraft launched an attack that destroyed the Langowan Airfield, which was under the control of the Indonesian Air Force (AURI). Mapanget subsequently became the headquarters of the Revolutionary Air Force (AUREV), Permesta's air wing. At its peak, AUREV operated eight to nine fighter aircraft flown by foreign pilots from the United States, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Among them was the notable American pilot Allen Pope, whose aircraft was later shot down by AURI forces over Ambon.[6]
Mapanget Airfield served as the primary base for AUREV operations, from which airstrikes were launched against several cities including Balikpapan, Palu, and Ambon. On 15 May 1958, AURI launched retaliatory attacks on Permesta airbases in North Sulawesi, targeting both Mapanget and Kalawiran. At Mapanget, under the command of Leo Wattimena, AURI’s B-25 bombers and P-51 Mustang fighters carried out coordinated strikes—bombing the runway and strafing parked AUREV aircraft. A direct rocket hit on a PBY Catalina ignited a fire that destroyed the plane instantly.[6] Following the attack, only one B-25 bomber and one P-51 fighter remained operational at Mapanget. Simultaneously, the attack on Kalawiran airfield destroyed two C-45 transport aircraft, reportedly sourced from Taiwan. On 9 June 1958, AURI returned to attack Mapanget Airfield. This time, P-51 fighters were deployed from Morotai, which had been reclaimed by the Indonesian military. However, the second assault was less effective; Mapanget’s anti-aircraft defenses had been significantly strengthened. Two AURI P-51s were shot down during the engagement, resulting in the death of one pilot.[6]
After the airfield was recaptured by the Indonesian Air Force (AURI), it was renamed Tugiman Airfield in honor of Sergeant Major Tugiman, who was killed during the battle to reclaim Mapanget from the Permesta rebels. In the following years, the name reverted to Mapanget Airfield. It was later renamed A. A. Maramis Airfield, in honor of Alexander Andries Maramis, a former Indonesian minister from North Sulawesi and a national hero of Indonesia. Eventually, the airfield received its current name, Sam Ratulangi Airport, in honor of Dr. Sam Ratulangi—a prominent Minahasan educator, journalist, politician, and also a national hero from North Sulawesi.[5] He was a member of the committee that drafted and ratified the Constitution of Indonesia and served as the first Governor of Sulawesi.
In 1994, Sam Ratulangi Airport was classified as a Class 1B airport, and its runway was extended to 2,650 meters (8,690 feet) in length and 45 meters (148 feet) in width. This expansion enabled the airport to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus A300, Airbus A320, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.[7] In the same year, SilkAir began twice weekly service to Singapore, which later increased to four times per week[8] until the airline ceased its operations in 2021. Since May 2021, this sector has been served by Scoot.[9]
As part of the government’s broader efforts in the 1990s to enhance regional infrastructure, Sam Ratulangi Airport came under the management of PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero), a state-owned enterprise tasked with supporting economic development and improving air transportation facilities.[7] To meet the growing demand for air travel, a comprehensive airport development project was undertaken by the Directorate of Airport Facilities and Aviation Safety (Fasilitas Bandar Udara dan Keselamatan Penerbangan, FBUKP), with operations beginning at the end of 2000. The official transfer of operational management from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) took place on 18 December 2003.
Facilities and development
The new waiting room (completed in 2022)
Construction of a new terminal began in 1998, and the current terminal officially opened in 2001. The three-story building features 21 check-in counters, five gates, four airbridges, two baggage claim belts, and an open-air waving gallery on the upper level. The international passenger terminal, covering 4,044 square meters (43,530 square feet), has a capacity of up to 183,000 passengers annually, while the larger domestic terminal, at 14,126 square meters (152,050 square feet), can serve up to 1.3 million passengers per year. During peak hours, the terminal can accommodate up to 2,816 passengers simultaneously. The aircraft parking apron spans 54,300 square meters (584,000 square feet) and can accommodate four wide-body aircraft along with eleven medium and small-bodied aircraft.
In preparation for the World Ocean Conference and Coral Triangle Initiative Summit in May 2009, the airport underwent a minor upgrade, which included improvements to the apron, international boarding lounge, CIP (Commercially Important Person) room, and car parking area. The apron was expanded to 71,992 square meters (774,920 square feet), and the parking facility was enlarged to accommodate 500 vehicles. Additionally, the international departure and arrival lounges were expanded, including the installation of an additional aerobridge.
A major terminal expansion project was completed in 2022, increasing the terminal area from 26,000 square meters (280,000 square feet) to 56,000 square meters (600,000 square feet), boosting the airport’s total passenger handling capacity to 5.7 million annually.[10]
Passport entry (green) and exit stamps from the airport
Accidents and incidents
16 February 1967 – Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 708, UPG-MDC, Lockheed L-188C Electra (PK-GLB), 22 of 84 passengers were killed (no fatalities among the eight crew members). Flight 708 departed Jakarta at 7:30 WIB(GMT+7/UTC+7) on 15 February for a flight to Manado via Surabaya and Makassar. On the second leg of the flight, bad weather in Makassar forced the crew to return to Surabaya. The flight continued the next day to Makassar and on to Manado. The cloud base in Manado was 900 feet (270 metres) with 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) visibility. An approach to runway 18 was made, but after passing a hill 200 feet (61 metres) above runway elevation and 2,720 feet (830 metres) short of the threshold, the pilot realised he was too high and left of the centreline. The nose was lowered and the aircraft banked right to intercept the glide path. The speed decreased below the 125 knots (232 kilometres per hour; 144 miles per hour) target threshold speed and the aircraft, still banked to the right, landed heavily 156 feet (48 metres) short of the runway threshold. The undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft skidded and caught fire.[31]
7 January 1976 – Mandala Airlines, Vickers 806 Viscount (PK-RVK), no fatalities. Landing in slight intermittent rain, the aircraft touched down 520 metres (1,710 feet) down the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, crossed a ditch and three drains before coming to rest 180 metres (590 feet) past the end of the runway.[33]
10 December 1982 – Bouraq Indonesia Airlines, Hawker Siddeley HS-748 (PK-IHI), no fatalities. The nose landing gear collapsed on landing, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway.[34]
3 October 1986 – East Indonesia Air Taxi, MAL-MDC, Shorts SC.7 Skyvan (PK-ESC), all 10 passengers and 3 crew members were killed. Struck a mountain.[35]
9 May 1991 – Merpati Nusantara Airlines 7533, TTE-MDC, Fokker F-27 Friendship (PK-MFD), all eight passengers and five crew members were killed when the aircraft crashed into a mountain.[36]
1 January 2007 – Adam Air Flight 574 was nearing Sulawesi, coming to Manado Airport from Juanda International Airport. The pilots of the Boeing 737-400 flew off course when their navigation system failed, eventually entering a storm near the island where they became spatially disoriented. The flight spiraled downwards rapidly and broke up, leading to the death of all 102 people on board.
1 2 3 Conboy, Kenneth J.; Morrison, James (1999). Feet to the fire: CIA covert operations in Indonesia, 1957-1958. Naval institute special warfare series. Annapolis (Md.): Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-55750-193-6.
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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