Background

Prior to the opening of the airport, Yogyakarta was primarily served by Adisutjipto Airport, located in Maguwo near the city center, which has already existed since the Dutch colonial era. The airport was already suffering from chronic overcapacity due to its limited size. Expansion of the airport is no longer feasible due to its location in a densely populated urban area and the limited availability of surrounding land. Residential buildings had already surrounded the airport on the north and south sides, while rivers bordered it to the west and east.Yanuar In addition, a railway line ran along the northern boundary of the airport. The airport has a single runway measuring 2,250 metres, which is insufficient to accommodate wide-body aircraft. The terminal was originally designed to handle about 1.2 million passengers annually; in 2016, it served over 7.2 million. The aircraft parking area was limited, accommodating only seven aircraft. This capacity was considered insufficient to meet the needs of Yogyakarta’s airport. With only seven parking stands available, delayed aircraft often had to wait for a vacant slot, causing incoming planes to circle the airport before landing.

In addition, Adisutjipto Airport’s commercial operations were shared with the Indonesian Air Force, which owns the land on which the airport is situated. As a result, it functioned as a civil enclave within a military airbase, a situation that often disrupted air traffic. Moreover, the airport also served as a base for Indonesian military aviation, not only the Air Force, resulting in very high levels of flight activity. With the steadily increasing number of passengers traveling to and from Yogyakarta each year, it was decided that a new airport needed to be constructed.

Construction and inauguration

Plans for the construction of a new airport for Yogyakarta been under consideration since 2009, although the project experienced several delays. After a series of surveys, two locations—Temon and Gadingharjo—were found to meet the obstacle clearance requirements for the construction of the new airport. Ultimately, the southern coastal area of Temon District in Kulon Progo Regency was selected as it best satisfied the technical and operational requirements for the construction of a new airport.

Between 2012 and 2017, about 587 hectares of land were acquired and cleared to make way for the development. The land acquisition process, however, was met with controversy and resistance from local residents who opposed the project. Construction officially commenced with the Babat Alas Nawung Kridha ceremony—a traditional Javanese ritual symbolizing the clearing of land to mark a new beginning—which was attended by then-President Joko Widodo.

Construction of the airport took about two years, with partial operations beginning on 29 April 2019 and full operations commencing on 29 March 2020. The construction of the airport was accompanied by several controversies, including allegations of human rights violations related to land acquisition from local communities and concerns over environmental degradation due to the clearing of farmland. After the launch of full operations, most airlines relocated their flights from Adisutjipto Airport to the new airport, except for turboprop and non-scheduled flights. The airport was officially inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 28 August 2020. The total investment for the project was about Rp. 11.3 trillion, comprising Rp. 4.2 trillion for land acquisition and Rp. 7.1 trillion for the development of land-side and air-side facilities.

The airport faced financial challenges when it opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to a lack of passenger and aircraft traffic, the airport's operations led to a debt of about 32 trillion Rupiah for its operator at the time, Angkasa Pura I. In 2021, the airport saw only about 980,000 passengers, just 10% of the expected. Following the easing of community restrictions and the decline of the pandemic, the airport saw an increase in passenger and air traffic.

Controversies

About 40 percent of the land designated for the construction of Yogyakarta International Airport is classified as Paku Alam Ground, a type of land traditionally under the control of the Paku Alam nobility. The remaining land is owned by local residents. The airport is located in Temon District, Kulon Progo Regency, between Congot Beach and Glagah Beach, and includes parts of Palihan, Sindutan, Jangkaran, and Glagah villages.

Local residents were first informed about the airport development in 2011. Public dissemination regarding the project was conducted in 2014 by the Regional Government, Angkasa Pura I, and the National Land Agency (Badan Pertanahan Nasional or BPN) of Kulon Progo Regency. Opposition to the project was reported in various media outlets. Affected residents expressed concerns that the airport's construction would eliminate agricultural land that served as their primary source of livelihood. In addition to economic concerns, residents also cited environmental and safety issues, as the area is considered prone to natural disasters such as tsunamis.