Background

The first airfield in Lombok was Rambang Airfield, located in what is now East Lombok Regency. Built during the Dutch colonial era, it served as a refueling stop for flights en route to Australia. During the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race, Rambang Airfield was one of the designated stops for the competitors. Notably, New Zealand aviator Jean Batten, during her solo flight from the United Kingdom to Australia, also landed at Rambang Airfield as part of her historic journey. In his novel Beyond The Blue Horizon, British-Australian author Alexander Frater also recalled Rambang. He briefly mentioned it as one of the key airfields during the 1930s. Rambang's strategic location along the Singapore–Australia route made it an important stopover point for airlines such as Imperial Airways before reaching the Australian continent. In addition to Imperial Airways, the Dutch airline KLM also used Rambang as an international hub for its long-distance flights. In 1936, KLM launched the Batavia–Sydney route, with Rambang and Kupang serving as alternative transit points. The airbase was occupied by the Japanese during their World War II occupation of the Dutch East Indies and was actively used to support their military operations. After the war ended and amid the political turmoil of the 1950s following the Indonesian National Revolution, the airfield gradually fell into disuse.

The Indonesian government decided to build a new airfield in Ampenan, located in Mataram—the largest city and economic center of Lombok. Construction began in 1956 and was completed in 1959, with the airport officially inaugurated by President Sukarno. Initially named Rembiga Airport, it was renamed Selaparang Airport in 1994. However, by the early 21st century, Selaparang Airport was deemed too small to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and growing air traffic. Its single 2,100-meter runway could not be extended due to land constraints, preventing it from serving wide-body aircraft. Further expansion was also unfeasible due to the airport’s close proximity to densely populated urban areas. As a result, the decision was made to construct a new airport in Lombok.

Construction and inauguration

It was decided that the new airport would be built in Tanak Awu, Central Lombok Regency, approximately 40 kilometers from the previous Selaparang Airport. At the time of its construction, the airport terminal covered an area of 21,000 square meters and was designed to accommodate up to 3 million passengers annually. The funding was jointly provided by the airport operator Angkasa Pura I, the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government, and the Central Lombok Regency government. To facilitate the development, Angkasa Pura I acquired approximately 500 hectares of land, although the project faced resistance from local residents. Construction spanned six years, beginning in 2005 and completed in 2011.

The new facility was officially inaugurated by the president of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, on 20 October 2011. The airport can accommodate widebody high capacity Airbus A330, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 airliners, in addition to the smaller aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 family already serving Lombok. The first aircraft that landed on the airport was a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800NG, marking the commencement of operations on 1 October 2011. The airport was built on a land area of about 551.8 hectares. Lombok International Airport has the second largest area after Soekarno–Hatta International Airport at the time of the opening of the airport.

In the early phase of its operation, the airport encountered several challenges, including the presence of local residents and street vendors within the terminal area. This situation led to perceptions of the facility resembling a marketplace, contributing to concerns about cleanliness, orderliness, and overall visual appeal.

Contemporary history

In 2018, the airport was renamed Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in honor of Muhammad Zainuddin Abdul Madjid, an esteemed Islamic scholar from Lombok and the founder of Nahdlatul Wathan, a prominent Islamic organization in the province. However, the renaming was considered controversial and faced opposition from many residents of Central Lombok Regency, who argued that it was politically motivated and reflected the identity of a specific group rather than representing the broader population of Lombok. Despite the official renaming, many people continue to refer to the airport as Lombok International Airport

To accommodate the growing number of Australian tourists visiting Lombok, the first direct route to Australia was launched in 2019, connecting Lombok with Perth. The service was operated by Indonesia AirAsia. At the time, Indonesia AirAsia announced plans to establish the airport as one of its hubs, positioning it as an alternative to the overcrowded I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. The airline also planned to launch new routes from Lombok to destinations in Eastern Indonesia, including Labuan Bajo.