Tampa Padang Airport

Construction and early history

During the early decades of the 1960s and 1970s, the people of Mamuju and the surrounding areas were relatively isolated due to the lack of adequate infrastructure.^[3] The region’s mountainous terrain made it particularly difficult to access, resulting in very low levels of mobility. At the time, the only reasonably accessible means of transportation was by sea. However, maritime transport was also difficult to access for communities north of Mamuju, while road infrastructure both within the city and in the surrounding areas remained limited and in poor condition.^[3] To address the region’s isolation, a pioneer airfield was constructed to improve access to Mamuju and the surrounding areas, which at the time were still part of South Sulawesi Province. Strategically located to serve communities in and around Mamuju, the new airfield was intended to provide an alternative means of transportation, improve regional mobility, and promote economic growth and social development. The construction of the new airport cost approximately 35.3 million rupiah at the time.^[4]

Tampa Padang Airport was inaugurated on 14 June 1979 by Air Marshal Kardono, the head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, on behalf of the Minister of Transportation, Emil Salim.^[4] At the time, the airport had a single 710-metre-long and 19-metre-wide runway, which remained unpaved and surfaced with grass.^[4] The airport’s initial operations were marked by the arrival of a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines, with a capacity of 18 passengers. Scheduled services continued for several years, supported in particular by the rapidly growing timber industry in Mamuju at the time. Timber entrepreneurs were among the airport’s most frequent users, alongside local residents who relied on air transport as an alternative means of transportation. Regular flights operated daily and continued until around 1982. However, irregular and charter flights continued to operate, primarily serving visits by government officials, regional dignitaries, and private-sector representatives.

Regular scheduled services resumed around 1987, with Merpati reintroducing flights between Mamuju and Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi. However, services remained irregular and were not operated on a consistent schedule.^[5] At the time, the airport’s facilities were still very basic.^[3] There was no dedicated passenger or cargo terminal, while essential facilities such as aircraft rescue and firefighting services (PKP-PK) were also unavailable. The only building on the airport grounds was a small office building, which served as both the administrative center and the facility for passenger processing and airport operations.^[3]

Contemporary history

As demand for air transportation increased and efforts were made to improve airport services, several important facilities were constructed in 1990, including a passenger terminal, an aircraft rescue and firefighting (PKP-PK) building, and other supporting infrastructure. These facilities became operational in the same year.^[3]

The increase in flight activity was closely associated with the gradual improvement of the airport’s facilities, as well as growing demand for fast and safe air transportation. The airport’s runway was progressively upgraded and extended over the following decades. In 1979, the runway was still an unpaved grass strip measuring 710 meters in length.^[3] It was subsequently paved and extended to 1,260 meters long and 23 meters wide.^[3] From 2007 to 2009, the runway was further extended to 1,500 meters, with its width increased to 30 meters.^[3]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the airport was briefly closed to all commercial flights, with the exception of VIP operations, including presidential and military flights, as well as flights transporting logistical supplies and medical supplies.^[6]

The aircraft sustained minor damage during the West Sulawesi earthquake on 15 January 2021.^[7] The airport’s ATC tower and AirNav Indonesia’s Mamuju office also sustained minor damage, prompting the temporary relocation of AirNav Indonesia’s Mamuju unit to Makassar.^[8] It was not until 20 January that AirNav Indonesia brought a mobile control tower from Makassar to Mamuju to support air traffic navigation.^[9] Despite the damage, the airport remained fully operational and served as a temporary hub for aircraft delivering aid and relief supplies to earthquake victims across West Sulawesi.

In 2022, the West Sulawesi Provincial Government proposed renaming the airport Andi Depu Tampa Padang Airport, in honor of Andi Depu, a Mandarese revolutionary from present-day West Sulawesi who played a role in the Indonesian National Revolution and was later recognized as a national hero of Indonesia.^[10] The proposed name was subsequently approved by the provincial government and is awaiting approval from the Ministry of Transportation and the central government. However, the renaming proposal has faced some opposition, with some protesters demonstrating outside the West Sulawesi Regional House of Representatives (DPRD).^[11] They argued that Andi Depu, who was originally from present-day Polewali Mandar Regency, was not an appropriate figure to represent Mamuju.^[12] Instead, they proposed naming the airport after heroes with ties to Mamuju, such as Punggawa Malolo or Ahmad Kirang.^[12]