Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport

Colonial era

Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport was first built by the Dutch colonial government in 1935 and was originally known as Kadieng Airfield. After approximately two years of construction, the Dutch government officially opened the airport on 27 September 1937, marked by a commercial flight connecting Singapore using a Douglas DC-2 aircraft operated by the Koninklijke Nederlands Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM).^[3] At the time of its inauguration, the airfield had only a single grass runway measuring 1,600 × 45 meters.^[4]

The airfield was considered strategically important by the Japanese during the opening phase of the Pacific Theater of World War II, as it enabled them to launch air offensives against targets in Java.^[5] Around midnight on 8–9 February 1942, Japanese troops landed in Makassar. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the Dutch commander in Sulawesi, Colonel M. Vooren, based his defensive strategy on the Malayan campaign.^[5] His objective was to inflict the greatest possible losses on the enemy while delaying their advance for as long as possible.^[5] To achieve this, he abandoned the conventional doctrine of direct coastal defence in favour of an indirect defensive strategy: slowing the enemy advance to facilitate the planned destruction of Mandai Airfield, before making a final stand at the Tjamba position in the mountainous interior. The entire plan was purely defensive.^[5] The city and the destroyed airfield were occupied by Japanese forces around noon on 9 February 1942. The Japanese later rebuilt the airfield during their occupation from 1942 to 1945, including upgrading its grass runway to a concrete surface. The rehabilitation work involved Allied prisoners of war, who were subjected to harsh treatment by their captors.^[6] Some Allied prisoners were executed by Japanese forces throughout the occupation, continuing until the end of the war.^[7] During this period, the airfield was renamed Mandai Airfield.^[8] Throughout the war, the airfield was repeatedly targeted by Allied air raids.^[9] By the end of the war, the airfield was in poor condition due to Allied bombing, with the runway heavily cratered.^[10] It was subsequently repaired by Australian and Indian engineers,^[10] after which Allied forces extended the runway to 1,745 × 45 meters.^[11] The construction involved approximately 4,000 workers, including former Japanese prisoners of war.^[11]

With the end of the war, the airfield was handed over to the returning Dutch authorities. It was subsequently used as an airbase by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL) during the Indonesian National Revolution until 1950.^[12] During the Makassar Uprising in April 1950, negotiations were held at the airfield between Martinus Putuhena, Prime Minister of the State of East Indonesia; Colonel Alex Kawilarang of the Indonesian Army; and Major General Schaffelaar of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL), in an effort to end the uprising by disgruntled former KNIL soldiers.^[13]

Post-independence era

Following the Dutch recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty, Dutch forces withdrew from Makassar, and control of the airfield was transferred from the ML-KNIL to the Indonesian Air Force on 2 June 1950.^[12] Its operation and maintenance were initially jointly managed by the Indonesian Air Force and the Airfield Division of the Department of Public Work.^[12] During this period, the airport became one of the busiest in the country, serving as a vital link between western and eastern Indonesia. In 1955, the airport's management was transferred to the Civil Aviation Service, now known as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The runway was subsequently extended to 2,345 × 45 meters.^[11] The airfield was bombed on 13 April 1958 by U.S.-supplied Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft operated by the Permesta Air Force (AUREV), based in North Sulawesi, during the height of the Permesta rebellion.^[14]

In 1962, an assassination attempt on President Sukarno, who was visiting Makassar, was carried out at the airfield by the Darul Islam movement led by Abdul Kahar Muzakkar.^[15] Mortars were fired at his motorcade as it exited Mandai Airfield; fortunately, the rounds missed by a considerable margin.^[15]

In 1980, the airport was renamed to its present name in honor of Sultan Hasanuddin, the 17th-century ruler of the Gowa Sultanate who famously resisted Dutch colonial forces in South Sulawesi. The renaming coincided with a runway extension from 1,745 × 45 meters to 2,400 × 45 meters. The following year, the airport began serving as a Hajj embarkation point, operating regular flights on the Makassar–Jeddah route to accommodate pilgrims traveling to Mecca. Sultan Hasanuddin Airport experienced a significant rise in passenger traffic and international arrivals after the issuance of Minister of Transportation Decree No. KM 61/1994 on 30 October 1994, which officially granted it international status. The airport's first regular international route was inaugurated on 28 March 1995 with the launch of the Makassar–Kuala Lumpur service by Malaysia Airlines, followed soon after by SilkAir’s route to Singapore.^[11] However, between 28 October 2006 and mid-2008, all international routes to Makassar were temporarily suspended after Garuda Indonesia closed the Makassar–Singapore route due to substantial financial losses. This decision mirrored the earlier moves by Malaysia Airlines and SilkAir, both of which had also discontinued their services to Makassar.^[11] International service resumed shortly afterwards.

Following the opening of the new terminal in 2008, located 2 km from the old terminal, the latter was closed to the public and repurposed for use by the Indonesian Air Force.^[16] On 15 August 2016, the old terminal building was destroyed in a major fire.^[17]

This airport has earned recognition as one of the top three airports in Indonesia, winning awards in 2011 for excellence in service and having the cleanest toilets. In 2012, it received the highest honor from the Ministry of Transportation, winning the Airport Award as the best airport.^[18]

Passenger

Notes:

Cargo

Bus

Perum DAMRI operates a bus service from Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport to Tanjung Bira Beach in Bulukumba Regency.^[140] The route is: Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport – DAMRI Daya Pool ticket office – Toddopuli Road – Cappa Bongayya Terminal – Gowa Regency – Takalar Regency – Jeneponto Regency – Bantaeng Regency – Bulukumba Regency – Tanjung Bira.^[140] The service operates daily from both Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport and Tanjung Bira at 20:00 WITA. The journey covers a distance of approximately 205 kilometres, with an estimated travel time of more than five hours. The fare is Rp 200,000.^[140]

The local bus rapid transit system, Trans Sulsel, also serves the airport. Corridor 2, which connects Hasanuddin University and Mandai Railway Station, includes a stop at the airport terminal.^[141]

Car and taxi

Taxi and shuttle services are available through several companies.

Pete-pete

A lower-cost public transport option between Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport and Makassar city center is available via angkutan kota (angkot), locally known as pete-pete. Access to this mode of transport requires exiting the airport premises to Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan. The distance between the terminal and the airport exit is considerable on foot; however, a free shuttle bus operated at the airport is available for this transfer.^[142]

From the airport exit, pete-pete services operate toward Daya Terminal, where transfers to other routes bound for the city center are required. The standard fare per pete-pete journey is approximately Rp4,000, resulting in a total cost of around Rp8,000 for travel between the airport and the city center. This option is generally more economical than taxi services and Damri airport buses, although it involves multiple transfers between vehicles.^[142]