Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport

Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (IATA: MLG, ICAO: WARA; formerly WIAS) is an airport serving Malang, the second-largest city in East Java province of Indonesia. This airport is named after Abdul Rachman Saleh (1909-1947), an Indonesian aviator and physiologist whose aircraft was shot down by the Dutch while landing in Maguwo Airfield (now Adisucipto Airport), Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, during the Indonesian National Revolution. The airport currently operates a single route to Jakarta, serving flights from both Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. In addition to functioning as a commercial airport, the facility is also a Type A airbase of the Indonesian Air Force. It serves as the primary base for the 4th, 21st, and 32nd Air Squadrons.

Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport Bandar Udara Abdul Rachman Saleh
IATA: MLG ICAO: WARA[1]
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner	Government of Indonesia Indonesian Air Force
Operator	Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Serves	Malang
Location	Pakis, Malang, East Java 65154, Indonesia
Built	1937; 88 years ago (1937)
Time zone	WIB (UTC+07:00)
Elevation AMSL	526 m / 1,726 ft
Coordinates	07°55′42″S 112°42′48″E[2]
Map
MLG/WARA Location of airport in Java
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 17/35 2,500[3] 8,202 Asphalt 17L/35R 1,500[1] 4,921 asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Passengers 893,678[4]
Source: DGCA[5] DAFIF[6][7]

Abdul Rachman Saleh Air Force Base
Pangkalan Udara (Lanud) Abdul Rachman Saleh
Part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces
East Java, Indonesia
Site information
Type	Air Force base
Owner	Indonesian Air Force
Controlled by	Government of Indonesia
Garrison information
Current commander	Air Marshal Fairlyanto, S.T., M.A.P.[8]
Occupants	4th Air Squadron (Light Transport) 21st Air Squadron (Counter Insurgent) 32nd Air Squadron (Transport) 022nd Engineering Squadron

History

Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport was originally built by the Dutch colonial government between 1937 and 1940 as a military airbase for the Netherlands East Indies Air Force. It was developed alongside other key airbases, including Maospati Air Base (now Iswahyudi Air Base) in Magetan, Panasan Air Base (now Adisumarmo International Airport) in Solo, and Maguwo Air Base (now Adisutjipto Airport) in Yogyakarta.^[9] At the time, the airport was known as Bugis Airbase. Strategically located at the foot of the mountain, the airbase benefits from natural fortifications that make it less visible from the air. Fog frequently obscures the area, making it difficult for enemy aircraft to detect the airbase when passing overhead. Recognizing its defensive advantages, the Dutch established an air defense zone in the area. To support military operations, the Dutch government constructed a long runway capable of accommodating large military aircraft.^[9]

The airbase was seized by the Japanese during their invasion of the Dutch East Indies in 1942 and was subsequently used as a base by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Following Japan's surrender in 1945, the base was taken over by the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (People's Security Army), the predecessor of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, along with some remaining Japanese aircraft.^[10] However, many of the aircraft were destroyed on the ground during Dutch raids on the airbase during the Indonesian National Revolution. Some of the surviving aircraft participated in a raid against Dutch positions in Ambarawa, Central Java, on 29 July 1947.^[11] After the Dutch withdrawal from Indonesia, the airbase was officially transferred to the Indonesian Air Force.

In 1952, the airbase was officially renamed Abdul Rachman Saleh Air Force Base, in honor of Abdul Rachman Saleh, a national hero from the revolution and one of the pioneers of the Indonesian Air Force.^[12] For the following years, the airbase was exclusively used for military flights. It was not until 1994 that the airport began operating commercial flights.^[9]

Facilities

The airport was temporarily closed in October 2009 due to significant runway damage. It reopened after repairs were completed, funded by Rp 130 million from three local authorities.^[13]

A new terminal was inaugurated on 30 December 2011, replacing the old terminal, which is now used by the Indonesian Air Force. The new terminal is located near the southwest end of the runway, adjacent to the old terminal.

In 2007, the airport's main runway (17/35) measured 1,987 by 40 meters (6,519 by 131 feet).^[2] By late 2012, it was extended to 2,300 meters (7,546 feet), and as of October 2022, it had been further extended to 2,500 by 40 meters (8,202 by 131 feet). The second runway (17L/35R) measures 1,500 by 30 meters (4,921 by 98 feet). The airport also features a 22,000-square-meter (236,806-square-foot) aircraft parking area, measuring 200 by 110 meters (656 by 361 feet).^[5]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines offer scheduled passenger service:

Airlines	Destinations
Batik Air	Jakarta–Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[14]
Citilink	Jakarta–Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Garuda Indonesia	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[15]

Accidents and incidents

• On 18 January 1967, a Grumman HU-16A Albatross operated by the Air Force of the Republic of Indonesia (AURI), military registration 302, en route to Malang-Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (MLG/WARA), was reported as missing with the loss of all 19 occupants onboard.^[16][17]
• On 1 November 2007, at 13:24 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) (06:24 UTC), a Boeing 737–230 operated by Mandala Airlines as flight number RI260 (also reported as MDL 260) (serial number: 22137/788), registration PK-RIL, was written off following substantial damage resulting from a severe heavy landing on runway 35 at Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport. Originating from Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK/WIII) on a scheduled passenger service, the subsequent investigation found that the pilot failed to observe the excessive 1,000 feet per minute rate of descent during the approach for landing, thus creating an unstabilised approach. The 45-year-old male pilot in command was criticised for further failing to respond to any of the audible warnings from any of ground proximity warning systems (GPWS), particularly the initial "Sink Rate, Sink Rate" and the three subsequent "Pull Up, Pull Up" aural warnings. Data recovered from the flight data recorder revealed that after a rate of descent of 1,750 feet per minute, the aircraft bounced around 20 feet (6 metres) following the severe heavy landing, and that there was no attempt by the crew to initiate a go around, which is the normal recovery action following a heavy landing. In mitigation, the flight crew were hampered with "marginal visual meteorological conditions" during their approach, specifically heavy rain and reduced visibility. Of the 94 total persons onboard (two pilots, three cabin crew, and 89 passengers), there were no fatalities and no serious injuries.^[2][18]

• On 16 November 2023, the two Indonesian Air Force Embraer EMB-314E Super Tucano (A-29) aircraft, operated by Skadron Udara 21, crashed under unknown circumstances on the slopes of Mount Bromo, near Keduwung Village, Puspo District, Pasuruan, East Java. The aircraft (TT-3103 and TT-3111) were part of a four-ship formation that had departed Malang-Abdul Rachman Saleh Air Base. At the time of the accident they were flying in a box formation. The pilots of both planes died in the crash.^[19]