Bali Airport Expansion
Bali Airport Expansion – New Plans To Expand Bali Airport Revealed As Island Targets 42 Million Travelers
After welcoming more than 7 million international tourists in 2025, Bali is now looking ahead to 2026 and the long-term future.
The Ministry of Transportation has revealed plans to expand Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to help accommodate ambitious new tourism targets.
Bali’s only commercial airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International, can currently serve 24 million passengers a year across both the domestic and international terminals. The mandate set out by the Indonesian Minister of Tourism is clear, reach 32 million passengers annually.
The Director General of Air Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, Lukman F Laisa, has spoken to the media about how this capacity increase can be achieved.
He explained, “Bali currently has 24 million passengers. But we’re already planning to increase that number to 32 million. We’ve revitalized it, and we’ll increase it with significant investment.”
Minister Laisa revealed that the central government is considering ways to accommodate up to 42 million passengers in the near future. Based on travel trends and transportation forecasts, Bali has the potential to serve up to 55 million passengers per year.
Minister Laisa shared, “This is why we are thinking about having another airport or a second runway, because that is to support the remaining 23 million.” He noted that the expansion at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport boosted passenger capacity significantly. “Jakarta used to have 56 million passengers, but now it has 96 million passengers after the revitalization.”
He explained that although other international airports in Indonesia have the potential for a similar capacity, demand for flight services operating in and out of Jakarta Airport and Bali Airport continues to rise. Minister Laisa added, “We’ve opened everything, but Jakarta and Bali are still the most popular destinations. So, whether we like it or not, Bali will reach 32 million passengers in the next three to four years.”
However, in order to safely support that many passengers, staff, and aircraft, major upgrades will be needed to both infrastructure and operations, Minister Laisa shared. “Now, when there are 32 million, of course, with the problem of so many planes, safety at the airport must at least be improved.”
Minister Laisa did not specify which upgrades would be implemented at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to support the significant increase in arrivals. The upgrades would have to impact both the terminal complex itself and the surrounding area.
One of the biggest issues with Bali Airport’s capacity to serve more tourists is not the terminals themselves, but the surrounding infrastructure, especially the road network. This is, in part, why leaders have long been calling for the urgent development of North Bali Airport.
The argument is that rather than expand Ngurah Rai Airport and put more pressure on the infrastructure of the central south, redistribute tourism and transportation infrastructure to the comparably less developed north of the province.
President Subianto Prabowo promised, as part of his election campaign, that North Bali International Airport would be built during his term in office.
The North Bali International Airport would be able to support more than 24 million international passengers in its first phase, with scope for even further expansion over time.
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Speaking shortly after his inauguration, President Prabowo publicly announced, “North Bali Airport, as I have conveyed, I am committed, I want to build North Bali International Airport.”
Adding “We will make Bali make the new Singapore, the new Hong Kong, where we will be the center of this region.”
North Bali Airport has been on and off the cards for years, with land acquisition and investment cited as the key reasons for the project stalling.
Though the leaders behind the project regularly confirm that slow and steady progress is being made. The project is now a collaboration between PT BIBU Panji Sakti and Alien Design Consultant.
For now, however, tourists traveling to and from Bali Airport are advised to follow the simple guidance:
leave more time to drive than the GPS shows, and be prepared for queues at baggage check-in, immigration, and baggage claim, especially at peak times.
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Bali Airport Tightens Biosecurity
Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport has confirmed that it has increased its biosecurity monitoring operation in light of the spread of the Nipah virus.
All passengers arriving at Bali Airport are already being monitored using thermal cameras due to the rising rates of Super Flu in the region, and these increased measures are a proactive approach to mitigating the spread of viruses.
In a written statement, the Head of Communication for Bali Airport, Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, explained, “All personnel at the airport are committed to increasing their monitoring strictly and thoroughly to prevent the spread of the Nipah virus from the airport’s arrival areas.
He confirmed that Bali Airport is coordinating with the Health Ministry and Quarantine Office to ensure that all relevant screening measures are carried out.
He confirmed that additional thermal scanning units have been installed, including two at the international arrivals terminal, one in the domestic terminal arrivals hall, and within the VIP arrivals hall too.
Asmadi added, “If symptomatic passengers are detected, the quarantine office will refer them to Ngoerah Central General Hospital in Denpasar.”
Asmadi urged, “Passengers who feel unwell and show symptoms of Nipah virus are advised to immediately report to the airport or quarantine officers.”
As outlined by the World Health Organisation, the key symptoms of Nipah virus include fever, headache, drowsiness and lethargy, confusion, and coma. The mortality rate among those infected exceeds 40%. The virus can be passed from animals such as fruit bats and pigs to people through direct contact with saliva and bodily fluids, or contaminated foods.
He confirmed that although the low season is now underway, the number of airport arrivals is still pretty high, averaging over 35,000 passengers a day, which is in part why such a proactive response has been taken. Officials across the island are also working to protect local communities, tourists, and livestock from the virus.
Speaking from the Bali Provincial Health Office, the Head of Disease Prevention and Control, I Gusti Ayu Raka Susanti, explained, “We are maintaining vigilance and coordinating with the agricultural office to ensure heightened alertness against the Nipah virus in livestock.”
At present, there are no recorded cases of Nipah virus amongst people or animals in Bali, but since Bali is Indonesia’s biggest pork-producing region, leaders are taking an extremely cautious approach. In 1998, an outbreak of the Nipah virus in Malaysia resulted in the mass culling of pigs due to the heightened risk of contamination with people.
Susanti told reporters, “In Bali, there are 120 community health centres. Each district already has a regional general hospital, and private hospitals are also equipped with isolation rooms and trained staff. We are confirmed in our readiness because we learned from the Covid-19 experience.”
Bali Airport is constantly monitoring the global health and medical landscape. Thermal scanners were installed at Bali Airport in early January following a rise in the number of cases of the Super Flu that is sweeping the region.
The General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Nugroho Jati, explained that all relevant baseline monitoring protocols had been put in place following guidance from the Ministry of Health.
He explained, “The Ministry of Health will, of course, provide further developments and policies. We at the airport are preparing facilities and personnel to ensure they remain ready.”
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Adding “For now, we are coordinating with the Indonesian Quarantine Agency and the Indonesian Port Health Office. The current status is still low, and we must remain vigilant. No special protocols have been implemented.”
Tourists travelling to Bali and Indonesia as a whole are reminded to download and complete the All Indonesia app and the pre-travel documents, including a health declaration form and customs declaration forms.
Tourists traveling to Bali must ensure they have comprehensive travel and health insurance before departure. It is important that travellers read their policy documents in full and understand how to make a claim, especially in the event of a travel or health emergency.
Sanur Port Make Travel To Nusa Penida Easier
Sanur is one of Bali’s busiest resorts right now; not only is it a popular vacation destination in its own right, but it is also the gateway for Bali tourists to visit Nusa Penida.
Sanur Harbour is now in such high demand that the Denpasar Transportation Agency will reopen Mertasari Pier to keep tourists moving smoothly.
Despite being the low season, Sanur Harbor is super busy. Demand for travel to Nusa Penida is rapidly increasing.
With Bali named as the Best of Best Destinations in the World by TripAdvisor for 2026, more and more international tourists and domestic tourists are eager to explore all that the province has to offer.
Sanur is the most popular departure point for tourists to travel by fast boat to the Nusa Islands, the Gili Islands, and Lombok.
While it is possible to cross from Padangbai and Serangan, Sanur remains the departure point of choice.
Although Sanur Harbour received a major upgrade only a few years ago, demand for travel through the port has grown so significantly that the Denpasar Transportation Agency has had to reopen Mertasari Pier to cope with the volume of passengers.
The Head of the Denpasar City Transportation Agency, Ketut Sriawan, told reporters, “We maintain the quality of Denpasar City’s transportation services, including traffic management.
By operating the Mertasari Pier, passenger traffic isn’t concentrated at Matahari Terbit Sanur, allowing for a smoother flow of traffic.”
He confirmed that the Denpasar Transportation Agency has coordinated with all local stakeholders, including the Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP), Perumda Bhukti Praja Sewakadarma (BPS), and the Traditional Village-Owned Enterprise (BUPDA) of Intaran Traditional Village.
He added, “We have coordinated with Perumda BPS to work with the Traditional Village. We are currently in the planning stage, including preparing passenger waiting rooms and safety facilities.”
Traffic flow in Sanur has been an issue for years, and because the resort is located between Denpasar City and the Bukit Peninsula, as well as close to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, bottlenecks form from all directions leading into Sanur.
At peak rush hour, when the most popular tourist fast boat crossings occur, this can lead to gridlock throughout the Sanur area, impacting both local residents and tourists.
Over the last five years, Sanur has been transformed into a new Special Economic Zone for Medical Tourism and is now home to major developments, including Bali International Hospital and ICON Bali Mall.
With even more tourists travelling to Sanur for vacations and medical tourism purposes, as well as an increase in the number of tourists traveling through Sanur Habor through to the outlying islands, it is clear that all infrastructure needs to be level up further.
Starting from passenger traffic at the harbor through to vehicle traffic on the roads, through to parking availability and public transport accessibility local leaders are acutely aware that further changes are necessary.
There are hopes that by reopening Mertasari Pier, passengers traveling through Sanur Port will be able to do so without encountering crowds and queues.
Sriawan added, “Once the arrangements are complete, we hope that sea transport operators, along with the KSOP, can begin docking and mooring at Mertasari Pier.”
Main Article: Bali Airport Expansion
He noted that teams are also hoping to also promote Seranagn Harbor as an alternative to Sanur Harbour for tourists looking to travel by fast boat, to help further redistribute passenger traffic.
Tourists traveling to Sanur Port for fast boat connections are advised to leave plenty of time to travel to the harbour.
Tourists must also be prepared for a quick drop off, as parking in the area is tricky and drivers often cannot secure a parking space close to the harbor entry.
To avoid crowds, it is better to opt for a fast boat service at an off-peak hour, or travel out of nearby Serangan Harbour or head over to Padangbai in East Bali.
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All above Bali news articles are provided by “The Bali Sun“
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