Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport

Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (IATA: UPG, ICAO: WAAA) is an international airport serving Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The airport is located on the border between Makassar and Maros, a suburb in South Sulawesi, approximately 20 km (12 mi) or 15 minutes from Makassar city center via the freeway/tollway, and about 23 km (14 mi) or 20 minutes via the highway. Named after Sultan Hasanuddin (1631–1670), the Sultan of Gowa and a national hero of Indonesia who resisted the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s, the airport serves as the main gateway to eastern Indonesia and is a major aviation hub in the region. It is the largest airport in eastern Indonesia and one of only two international airports in Sulawesi—the other being Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado. The airport serves as a key hub connecting western and eastern Indonesia, offering domestic flights to major cities in western Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Balikpapan, as well as destinations in eastern Indonesia, including Ambon, Ternate, Sorong, and Jayapura. It also provides international connections to destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia. Additionally, the airport is one of the primary embarkation points for Hajj pilgrims from eastern Indonesia, with seasonal flights to Jeddah and Medina.

Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport Bandar Udara Internasional Sultan Hasanuddin
IATA: UPG ICAO: WAAA WMO: 97180
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner	Government of Indonesia
Operator	InJourney Airports
Serves	Makassar
Location	Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Opened	27 September 1937; 87 years ago (1937-09-27)
Hub for	Batik Air Garuda Indonesia Lion Air
Focus city for	Sriwijaya Air
Operating base for	Citilink Super Air Jet Wings Air
Time zone	WITA (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL	47 ft / 14 m
Coordinates	5°03′42″S 119°33′15″E
Website	www.hasanuddin-airport.co.id
Maps
Sulawesi region in Indonesia
UPG/WAAA Location in Makassar Show map of Makassar UPG/WAAA Location in Sulawesi Show map of Sulawesi UPG/WAAA Location in Indonesia Show map of Indonesia UPG/WAAA Location in Southeast Asia Show map of Southeast Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 13/31 2,500 8,202 Asphalt 03/21 3,202 10,505 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers 10,517,586 ( 8.2%) Cargo (tonnes) 79,879 ( 3.3%) Aircraft movements 82,439 ( 5.6%)
Source: DGCA[1][2]

In addition to serving as a commercial airport, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport also hosts the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base, a Type-A facility operated by the Indonesian Air Force. It is one of the largest air force bases in eastern Indonesia and is home to four Air Force squadrons: the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, which operates Boeing 737-200 and CN 235-220 aircraft; the 11th Combat Squadron, equipped with Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets; the 33rd Transport Squadron, which flies Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft; and the 044th Engineering Squadron.

History

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). The airport underwent further development during the Japanese occupation between 1942 and 1945, including the upgrading of its grass runway to a concrete surface. It was subsequently renamed Mandai Airfield.^[3] In 1945, following Japan’s surrender, the Allied forces extended the runway to 1,745 × 45 meters. The construction involved approximately 4,000 workers, including former Japanese prisoners of war.^[4]

The airport was returned to Indonesian control in 1950 following the Dutch withdrawal from the region. Its operation and maintenance were initially managed by the Airfield Division of the Department of Public Works. 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.^[4]

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.^[4] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] On 15 August 2016, the old terminal building was destroyed in a major fire.^[6]

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.^[7]

Facilities and development

The current terminal, located approximately 2 kilometers south of the old facility, began operations on 4 August 2008 and was officially inaugurated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 26 September 2008.^[8] Construction, which started in 2004, took around four years to complete. The project was carried out together with the 11.47 kilometer extension of the Ujung Pandang Tollway, improving access between the airport, Makassar city center, and the Port of Soekarno-Hatta. It also included the construction of a new runway measuring 3,100 by 45 meters.^[9] Designed in a modern high technology architectural style, the first of its kind among airport terminals in Indonesia, the new terminal is five times larger than the previous one and has a capacity of seven million passengers per year. By 2010, it was already serving five million passengers.^[10] The terminal includes six aerobridges and a significantly larger apron that can accommodate up to seventeen wide-body aircraft. The total cost for the terminal and supporting infrastructure was approximately one trillion rupiah.

Due to overcapacity, with approximately 10.7 million passengers passing through the airport in 2019 despite its original design for only 7 million, a major expansion project was launched in 2019.^[11] The project aimed to boost the airport’s annual capacity to 15.5 million passengers and to triple the terminal’s size from 50,000 to 150,000 square meters. The expansion was divided into two main components. The first included the revitalization of the existing terminal, a southern extension, the construction of a multi-level parking facility, and improvements to the main access road. The second involved the development of new aircraft aprons on the southern and eastern sides of the airport, along with supporting infrastructure.^[12] As part of the project, the apron was expanded to accommodate 37 aircraft stands, up from 34, and the parking area was enlarged from 40 to 72 square meters.^[13] The number of jet bridges at the airport was increased from six to twelve.^[14] The total cost of the expansion was estimated at 2.4 trillion rupiah.^[15] Originally slated for completion in 2021, the project was delayed and was briefly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with construction resuming in 2023. The expanded terminal was completed and officially opened to the public in 26 June 2024.^[16]

The airport is planned to undergo further expansion in four phases. The first phase has been completed and became operational in 2024. Phase II was originally scheduled to begin in 2024, increasing the airport’s passenger capacity to 21 million per year and expanding the number of parking stands to 47. Phase III, set to commence in 2034, will raise the terminal capacity to 30.8 million passengers annually with 64 parking stands. Finally, Phase IV will begin in 2044, bringing the terminal’s ultimate capacity to 40 million passengers per year and 78 parking stands.^[13]

Airlines and destinations

A Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737 at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport

A Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
AirAsia	Kuala Lumpur–International[17][18][19]
Airfast Indonesia	Charter: Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta,[20] Timika[20]
Batik Air	Ambon,[21] Balikpapan,[22] Denpasar,[23] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jayapura, Kendari,[24] Luwuk,[25] Mamuju,[26] Manado,[27] Nabire (begins 17 August 2025),[28] Palu,[29] Surabaya, Ternate,[30][31] Timika[32]
Citilink	Balikpapan,[33] Denpasar,[34] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jayapura,[35] Kendari,[36] Surabaya Seasonal: Jeddah,[37] Medina[37]
Flynas	Charter: Jeddah[citation needed]
Garuda Indonesia	Balikpapan,[38][39] Denpasar,[40] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Kendari, Palu, Ternate[41][42] Seasonal: Jeddah,[43] Medina[44]
Lion Air	Ambon, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin,[45][46] Biak,[47] Denpasar, Gorontalo, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jayapura, Kendari, Kupang,[48][49] Langgur,[a] Lombok,[50][51] Manado, Merauke, Palu, Semarang,[52] Sorong, Surabaya, Ternate,[53] Timika,[54] Yogyakarta–International[55] Seasonal: Jeddah,[56] Medina[citation needed]
Malaysia Airlines	Kuala Lumpur–International[57]
Pelita Air	Ambon, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[58][59][60][61] Charter: Soroako[citation needed]
Saudia	Seasonal: Jeddah,[62] Medina[citation needed]
Scoot	Singapore[63][64][65]
Sriwijaya Air	Denpasar (resumes 15 August 2025),[66] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jayapura, Nabire, Sorong,[67] Surabaya,[68] Tanjung Redeb,[69][70] Ternate,[71] Timika, Wamena,[72] Yogyakarta–International[73]
Super Air Jet	Balikpapan,[74] Bau-Bau,[75][76][77] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta,[78] Manokwari,[79] Sorong,[80] Tarakan,[b] Ternate[81]
Wings Air	Bau-Bau, Bima, Kolaka, Morowali,[82] Palopo

Notes:

1. Langgur is continuation of Ambon flight as the same flight number
2. Tarakan is continuation of Balikpapan flight as the same flight number

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Garuda Cargo	Hong Kong, Singapore[83]
Raindo United Services	Hong Kong,[84] Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta,[85] Surabaya[86]

Traffic and statistic

Traffic

Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics

Year	Passengers handled	Passenger % change	Cargo (tonnes)	Cargo % change	Aircraft movements	Aircraft % change
2006	3,987,810		38,338		45,136
2007	4,469,430	12.1	31,605	17.6	48,848	8.2
2008	4,952,449	10.8	33,279	5.3	55,781	14.2
2009	5,063,860	2.2	32,420	2.6	51,481	7.7
2010	6,546,831	29.3	40,142	23.8	64,908	26.1
2011	9,255,297	41.4	43,343	8.0	73,131	12.7
2012	10,637,676	14.9	49,698	14.7	82,680	13.1
2013	9,645,504	9.3	53,550	7.8	94,767	14.6
2014	9,848,354	2.1	53,563	0.02	83,551	11.8
2015	9,306,184	5.5	53,935	0.7	88,592	6.0
2016	10,756,737	15.6	57,898	7.3	100,630	13.6
2017	12,294,962	14.3	68,861	18.9	113,911	13.2
2018	13,537,469	10.1	76,131	10.6	118,538	4.1
2019	10,759,155	20.5	53,009	30.4	97,907	17.4
2020	6,097,074	43.3	66,259	25.0	64,930	33.7
2021	6,656,741	9.2	78,825	19.0	67,467	3.9
2022	9,716,893	46.0	82,644	4.8	78,093	15.7
2023	10,517,586	8.2	79,879	3.3	82,439	5.6
Source: DGCA, BPS[2][87]

Statistics

Busiest domestic flights out of Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport by frequency (2025)[1] Rank Destinations Frequency (weekly) Airline(s) 1 Jakarta, Jakarta Special Capital Region 376 Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Pelita Air, Sriwijaya Air, Super Air Jet 2 Surabaya, East Java 91 Batik Air, Citilink, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 3 Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi 52 Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air 3 Balikpapan, East Kalimantan 42 Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Super Air Jet 4 Denpasar, Bali 40 Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 5 Morowali, Central Sulawesi 38 Wings Air 6 Ternate, North Maluku 31 Batik Air, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, Super Air Jet 7 Palu, Central Sulawesi 31 Batik Air, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air 8 Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta 28 Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 9 Sorong, Southwest Papua 28 Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, Super Air Jet 10 Manado, North Sulawesi 21 Batik Air, Lion Air 11 Timika, Central Papua 21 Batik Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 12 Ambon, Maluku 21 Batik Air, Lion Air, Pelita Air 13 Jayapura, Papua 20 Batik Air, Citilink, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 14 Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi 17 Super Air Jet, Wings Air 15 Gorontalo, Gorontalo 14 Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air 16 Luwuk, Central Sulawesi 14 Batik Air 17 Manokwari, West Papua 14 Batik Air, Super Air Jet 18 Biak, Papua 12 Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 19 Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi 11 Wings Air 20 Semarang, Central Java 7 Lion Air 21 Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan 7 Lion Air 22 Merauke, South Papua 7 Lion Air 23 Palopo, South Sulawesi 7 Wings Air 24 Nabire, Central Papua 4 Sriwijaya Air 25 Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara 4 Lion Air 26 Pontianak, Wesr Kalimantan 4 Lion Air 27 Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara 3 Lion Air 28 Bima, West Nusa Tenggara 3 Wings Air 29 Tanjung Redeb, East Kalimantan 3 Sriwijaya Air 30 Poso, Central Sulawesi 3 Wings Air 31 Raha, Southeast Sulawesi 3 Wings Air 32 Wamena, Highland Papua 3 Sriwijaya Air 33 Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi 2 Wings Air Busiest international flights out of Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport by frequency (2025)[1] Rank Destinations Frequency (weekly) Airline(s) 1 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 13 AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines 2 Singapore 4 Scoot

Ground transportation

Bus

Shuttle airport buses operated by Perum DAMRI serve several destinations from Sultan Hasanuddin Airport.

Service	Destination	Fare
Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Bus
Damri	Pusat Kota / City Center Makassar	IDR 25,000

Car and taxi

Taxi and shuttle services are available through several companies.

Accidents and incidents

• October 31, 2003, Lion Air Flight 787, MD-82 Ambon-Makassar-Denpasar route, derailed while landing at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar.^[88]
• February 3, 2005, Lion Air flight 791, MD-82 Ambon-Makassar route derailed while landing at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar.
• May 6, 2005, Lion Air Flight 778, MD-82 on the Jakarta-Makassar route, a tire burst while landing at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar. There were no fatalities in the accident case.^[88]
• Lion Air with flight 792, MD-82 on the Jakarta-Makassar-Gorontalo route on December 24, 2005, the plane's wheels slipped off the runway while landing at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar.^[88]
• On December 24, 2006, a Boeing 737-400 with flight number 792, PK-LIJ for the Jakarta-Makassar-Gorontalo route skidded while landing at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar.^[88]
• January 18, Lion Air's MD-82 aircraft on the Ambon-Makassar-Surabaya route skidded while landing at Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar.^[88]
• Wings Air aircraft flight number IW-1205 skidded on Runway 03-21, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar, while landing at around 16.30 WITA. The ATR 72-500 aircraft departed from Pomala, Southeast Sulawesi, with the aim of Makassar carrying 73 passengers: 53 men, 17 women, one child and two babies. “All passengers are safe”^[89]
• On September 25, 2014, a Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 made a hard landing and 4 tyres blew up. No casualties occurred.^[90]
• On June 2, 2015, a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 overran the runway on landing at Makassar Airport. No casualties occurred.
• On July 1, 2020, a Garuda Indonesia type Airbus A330-300 aircraft with registration number PK-GHD serving the Makassar (UPG) - Jakarta (CGK) route with flight number GA-613 experienced an incident (derailed) on Runway 21, the aircraft was carrying 14 passengers and 12 crew members. There were no casualties from the incident.^[91]
• On February 17, 2021, a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 aircraft registered with PK-GFF must return to the airport after taking off with flight GA-642 to the destination. Gorontalo, after reporting engine failure; the engine, the right of the plane or engine number 2, black smoke came out. The aircraft landed safely and no injuries were reported, but the aircraft suffered the aforementioned engine failure.^[92]
• On May 18, 2022, the Lion Air Boeing 737-900ER aircraft registered PK-LHR for the Surabaya-Makassar route had to be diverted after the JT-800 aircraft hit a bird or bird strike while heading to Sultan Hasanuddin Makassar International Airport in Maros, South Sulawesi (UPG) .^[93]
• On September 30, 2022, Sriwijaya Air aircraft flight number SJ567 made an emergency landing at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar after experiencing left engine trouble. The damage occurred when the plane was en route from Makassar to Surabaya. All 177 passengers and crew survived.^[94]
• On May 15, 2024, a Boeing 747-400 leased from Terra Avia, operating as Flight 1105 suffered an engine fire after departure from Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, the aircraft landed back safely, All 450 passengers and 18 crew members survived.^[95]

Gallery

• Pre-independence Mandai Airfield
• 
  A Curtiss C-46 Commando at Mandai Airfield, 1948
• 
  Farewell to Colonel Giebel of the K.N.I.L., on Mandai Airfield (1946)
• 
  Cees Taillie posing in front of a Dakota on Mandai Airfield (1949)

• Old terminal
• 
  Exterior of the old terminal
• 
  Old terminal check-in area
• 
  Old terminal boarding gate
• 
  Old terminal baggage claim area

• Current terminal
• 
  Aerial view of Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport
• 
  Departure drop off
• 
  Check-in area after the 2024 expansion
• 
  Waiting room
• 
  Sultan Hasanuddin Airport terminal interior
• 
  One of the 12 jetbridges installed in UPG

See also

• List of airports in Indonesia
• List of airlines of Indonesia