Banyuwangi Airport (Indonesian: Bandar Udara Banyuwangi) (IATA: BWX, ICAO: WADY) (formerly code: WARB) is a domestic airport at Blimbingsari, which serves Banyuwangi city and surrounding area in East Java, Indonesia. It was formerly known as Blimbingsari Airport. It began operations in December 2010. It is termed the first green airport of Indonesia.[4] The airport is managed by PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero), after being handed over by the Ministry of Transportation on 22 December 2017.[5]
In 2010 the airport only served 7,386 passengers, but in 2017 it served 140,683 passengers, an increase of 1,700 percent in seven years. It increased again significantly to 307,157 passengers in just 10 months of 2018.[6]
In 2022, the airport was announced as one of the six winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.[7][8] In April 2024, the Indonesian Department of Transportation revoked the airport's status as an international airport.[9]
Development and extension
Aerial view of Banyuwangi Airport
Construction was initiated in 2002, with vice president Hamzah Haz placing the cornerstone. Cases related to land acquisition resulted in two regents of Banyuwangi - Samsul Hadi and Ratna Ani Lestari being convicted of corruption.[10]
Originally the runway was only 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) in length and could only accommodate small propeller-driven aircraft such as the Cessna 208, but in 2012 it was extended to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) to allow large turboprop airliners such as the Fokker 50 and ATR 72 to operate from the airport. In 2011 it served only 7,826 passengers, and in 2015 served more than 110,000 passengers.[11] Another expansion and development program was undertaken to convert the airport as an international low Cost Carrier Airport (LCCA). The construction done at the airport includes:
Extension and widening of runway to 2500m long, 45m wide, to accommodate Boeing 737-8 NG, 737-9 ER and Airbus A320
Extension of parking apron to 34,000 m2, which can accommodate nine narrow bodied aircraft
Expansion of parking area from to 5000 m2, to hold 260 vehicles
Expansion of airport terminal to 20,000 m2[12]
Terminal and runway
Planes at Banyuwangi Airport
The airport terminal is designed to resemble a traditional house from East Java's Osing tribe, with an open-air concept that reduces dependency on air conditioners. The terminal has an area of about 20,000 square meters, which can accommodate two million passengers annually.[13] The runway of the airport is 2500 x 45 square meters, the apron area (41,000 square meters) can accommodate nine narrow-bodied aircraft.