Raja Sisingamangaraja XII Airport

The airport was constructed by Japanese forces in 1944 during their occupation of the Dutch East Indies, as part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Initially built as a military airbase, it held strategic importance by facilitating the rapid movement of troops and supplies, supporting Japan’s efforts to control key cities in North Sumatra, and serving as a major defensive position against Allied forces.^[6] Upon its completion, the airbase was notably used to receive Indonesian independence leader and future president Sukarno, who was visiting the Lake Toba area at the time. After the war ended, the airbase remained unused and abandoned for several decades.^[7]

After several decades of neglection, the airport underwent renovation in 1995 to support the growing number of passengers visiting Lake Toba. This included extending the original 900-meter runway to 1,400 meters to accommodate larger aircraft. On 9 March 2005, then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially inaugurated the newly renovated airport.^[8] It was named Silangit, a word derived from the Toba Batak expression Silang di langit or “Cross in the sky,” symbolizing salvation. Local residents believe that Silangit conveys the idea of physical and spiritual deliverance, particularly in light of the suffering endured during the Dutch colonial era, which claimed many lives. As a result, whenever a child asked their mother about the whereabouts of their father, the response was often: Silang di langit i amang inang haporusan (“The cross in the sky, my child, that is salvation”).^[6]

Since 2011, the airport has been increasingly used by tourists visiting various destinations around the Lake Toba region. In 2012, its ownership was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to Angkasa Pura II through the Ministry of Transportation. The airport is now managed by InJourney Airports.^[7]

A major expansion took place in 2017, including the construction of a larger terminal and supporting infrastructure, as well as the extension of the runway to 2,650 meters. The expansion was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 24 November 2017.^[9] Around the same time, the airport was designated as an international airport on 28 October 2017, marked by the first charter flight to Singapore operated by Garuda Indonesia.^[10] However, all international flights were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the prolonged absence of international services, the Ministry of Transportation officially revoked the airport’s international status on 2 April 2024.^[11] There are proposals to reopen international flights to the airport to accommodate foreign tourists coming to Lake Toba.^[12]

On 8 September 2018, under a regulation issued by the Ministry of Transportation, the airport was renamed to its current name in honor of Sisingamangaraja XII, a Batak ruler and a recognized national hero of Indonesia.^[13] He was known for his staunch resistance against colonialism and was killed in a skirmish with Dutch troops in 1907.

The airport was named the best airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 (under 2 million passengers per annum) by Airports Council International.^[14]

To support the growth of tourism, the government upgraded the airport’s facilities by constructing a new terminal, extending the runway, and widening the apron. With the inauguration of the modern, well-equipped terminal on 15 September 2017, the airport began offering a more comfortable and efficient experience for passengers.^[15] The terminal’s capacity was expanded significantly, from 36,500 passengers per year to 1 million. Initially covering an area of 500 square meters, the terminal was planned to be expanded to 1,700 square meters. The new terminal also introduced several facilities that were not available in the previous one, including Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine services, enabling the airport to begin handling international flights the following year.^[15]

The airport has full digital-based services, which include digital airport bus schedules, e-payment systems, a wifi.id corner and smart baggage claim – a facility to monitor the position of passengers' baggage. The airport is also equipped with tourism information kiosks that give a wide range of information about activities in the nearby area.^[16]

The airport has a runway of 2,650 m × 45 m (8,694 ft × 148 ft), which was extended from the original 2,400 meters in 2016 to accommodate larger aircraft and eventually to boost tourism growth in the region.^[17][18] There are proposals to further extend the runway to 3,000 meters to enable the airport to accommodate wide-body aircraft.^[9]

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  Check-in area
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  Boarding gate
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  Baggage claim area