Depati Amir Airport

In 1942, following their victory over the Dutch, the Japanese occupied Bangka as part of the Pacific Theater of World War II. To support their military operations against the Allied forces and strengthen the island's defenses, they constructed an airstrip to serve as a base for their aircraft. Initially, the airstrip was not intended for commercial or civilian flights; rather, it functioned as a strategic military installation designed to protect against potential Allied attacks.^[3] During the war, the Japanese constructed bunkers and other fortifications around the airport for defense and to stockpile weapons. Some of these structures can still be seen today.^[4]

After Indonesia gained independence, the airport began operating commercial flights and was subsequently renamed Pangkalpinang Airfield (Indonesian: Pelabuhan Udara Pangkalpinang). In 1985, the status of Pangkalpinang Airfield was upgraded to an airport (Indonesian: Bandara). In 1999, the airport was renamed to its current name in honor of Depati Amir, a Bangka aristocrat and national hero of Indonesia who resisted Dutch colonialism and the exploitation of resources in Bangka during the 19th century.^[5][3]

In 2007, the management of the airport was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation to Angkasa Pura II, which has since been rebranded as InJourney Airports.^[6]

A new terminal, located to the northeast of the old terminal across the runway, was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 14 March 2019.^[7] After its opening, all airport operations were relocated to the new terminal, and the old terminal was abandoned, gradually falling into disrepair. Although there have been proposals to repurpose the old terminal as a bus terminal, these plans have yet to be realized.^[8]

To attract international tourists to Bangka, plans are underway to designate the airport as an international airport, enabling the launch of international flights. Relevant infrastructure is currently being developed to accommodate these flights, with the goal of achieving international status by 2026.^[9]

Due to overcapacity, a larger terminal was needed to accommodate the growing number of passengers. Construction of the new terminal began in 2012.^[10] After several delays, the new airport terminal officially opened on 11 January 2017. The construction of the terminal cost approximately 300 billion rupiah. With a capacity to accommodate 1.5 million passengers annually, the new terminal significantly surpasses the old one, which could only handle 350,000 passengers per year.^[11] In 2018, the number of passengers passing through the airport reached 2.17 million, exceeding the terminal's capacity at the time.^[10] As a result, an expansion was carried out to double the capacity to around 3 million passengers, which was completed in 2020. A total of 648 billion rupiah was invested in the construction and expansion of the new terminal.^[10]

The terminal building covers 12,000 square meters of the total 152-hectare land area and can accommodate up to 3.2 million passengers annually.^[11][12] The terminal features a modern design and is equipped with enhanced amenities such as food courts, an executive break room, internet access, disabled-friendly toilets, and a dedicated mother and child room. Other facilities include 12 check-in counters, three departure gates, and three jetbridges.^[11] The expanded parking area can accommodates 300 cars and 120 motorcycles.^{[citation needed]}

This airport has an apron area of 51,660 square meters with a capacity of 9 parking spots for aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320.^[13] The current runway length is 2,650 meters, an extension from the previous 2,250 meters.^[14]

The Bangka-Belitung government plans to develop maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities at the airport, similar to those at Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam. To support this initiative, the government has invited several airlines, including Sriwijaya Air, to invest in the construction of these facilities.^[15]