Construction and early history

Fatmawati Soekarno Airport was built during the Japanese occupation around 1943–1944 as a military airstrip 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. Throughout the war, the airfield was guarded by Japanese military forces alongside local Heiho auxiliaries in anticipation of possible Allied attacks.

After Japan was defeated by the Allies and surrendered in 1945, the airport was taken over by the Indonesian Air Force during the Indonesian National Revolution. The Dutch captured the airfield during Operation Kraai in January 1949, along with the city. Following the Dutch withdrawal from Indonesia, the airport began operating as a civilian airport in 1950 under the name Padang Kemiling Airport. At the time, the Indonesian Air Force, which still managed the airport, handed over its management to the Civil Aviation Service, later known as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The airport was then capable of accommodating only Douglas DC-3 aircraft.

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. At the time, the airport was still designated as a pioneer airstrip and was connected to Palembang by pioneer flights operated using de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines. Between 1982 and 1983, the runway was overlaid, making it capable of accommodating Fokker F28 aircraft in limited capacity. This allowed Garuda Indonesia to begin serving the airport with Fokker F28 aircraft, making Bengkulu the last provincial capital in Indonesia at the time to receive service from the airline.

By the early 1990s, the airport was served by several airlines, including Garuda Indonesia, which operated direct flights to the national capital, Jakarta, and Merpati Nusantara Airlines, which operated inter-Sumatra services to Medan, Padang, and Palembang. Another overlay was completed between 1991 and 1992, allowing Fokker F28 aircraft to land at full capacity. Further development of the airport continued with the extension of the runway to 1,900 meters between 1996 and 1997.

Contemporary history

In 2001, the terminal building was expanded to 1,776 m², and the airport was officially renamed Fatmawati Soekarno Airport by a decree issued by the Ministry of Transportation on July 18, 2001. The renaming was proposed by the Governor and people of Bengkulu as a tribute to Fatmawati Sukarno, the former first lady of Indonesia and wife of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno, as well as a prominent figure in the country's independence movement. The airport's new name was officially inaugurated by then-President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who coincidentally was the daughter of Fatmawati, on 15 November 2001. The terminal was further expanded to 2,180 m² in 2002, while the runway was extended to 2,250 m in 2004. 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 and has been capable of handling all narrow-body aircraft type.

Since 2010, the airport's facilities have been gradually upgraded, including the installation of a Runway Visual Range (RVR) system to complement the Instrument Landing System (ILS). These systems help monitor runway conditions and support safe aircraft takeoffs and landings. The upgrades formed part of a broader plan to eventually designate the airport as an international airport. In 2018, the Bengkulu provincial government announced plans to launch international flights from Bengkulu to neighboring countries, including Singapore and Malaysia. Plans are also being considered to designate the airport as a Hajj embarkation point, which would allow direct flights to Saudi Arabia to serve pilgrims traveling for the Hajj.

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. Following the transfer of management, Angkasa Pura II announced plans to invest up to Rp434 billion in the airport's development, including landside improvements such as the expansion of the passenger terminal and airside upgrades such as the expansion of the apron to accommodate additional aircraft parking stands. The airport's land area will also be expanded from 197 hectares to 265 hectares.