Minangkabau International Airport

Background and construction

Proposals to construct a new airport to replace Tabing Airport had been under consideration since the 1980s, as the existing airport faced several constraints that limited its long-term development. The main constraints were the surrounding terrain and limitations in aviation safety infrastructure. Located in an area surrounded by hills, Tabing Airport faced challenges to flight operations and had limited scope for further expansion. In addition, its existing aviation safety facilities were considered inadequate in both capacity and condition. Due to its proximity to the city center, increasing population density around the airport further raised concerns about aviation safety and its long-term viability. In response to these constraints, the government decided to relocate the airport to a new site. As part of the preparations, approximately 68 hectares of land in Ketaping, Padang Pariaman Regency, were allocated for the construction of the new airport.

The West Sumatra provincial government, led by Governor Azwar Anas at the time, together with Anas Malik, the Regent of Padang Pariaman Regency, played an important role in overseeing the airport's planning and development, including identifying a suitable site and clearing land for construction. However, the project was subsequently delayed by the economic downturn following the 1980s oil glut, which led to the construction plans being stalled. Despite the construction project being stalled, the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of Japan (OECF) had completed a feasibility study for the proposed new airport by the 1990s. Meanwhile, the provincial government had cleared a significant portion of the site and completed a new bypass road connecting the area to the proposed airport site.

After years of planning and negotiations, physical construction of the new airport at Ketaping finally began in 2001, replacing Tabing Airport as the main airport serving Padang and the surrounding region. The project was funded through a soft loan of approximately 9.4 billion yen from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), supplemented by around Rp 97.6 billion from the Indonesian state budget (APBN), accounting for 10% of the total cost. The construction was undertaken by a Japanese joint venture between Shimizu and Marubeni, in collaboration with Indonesia's state-owned Adhi Karya. The airport was completed and officially inaugurated in 2005. The airport is capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A330, Boeing 747-400, and Boeing 777. After the opening of Minangkabau International Airport, Tabing Airport was permanently closed to commercial passenger services. It was subsequently taken over by the Indonesian Air Force and is now known as Sutan Sjahrir Air Force Base, classified as a Type B airbase.

Contemporary history

The airport sustained significant damage during the 2009 Sumatra earthquakes on 30 September 2009, including the collapse of approximately 100 metres of the roof, while sections of the ceiling in the boarding area also collapsed. Additionally, a portion of the airport's electrical network was severed. The airport was temporarily closed for safety reasons, resulting in all flights being cancelled or diverted to their origin airports. It reopened on 1 October, initially only for non-commercial flights carrying relief supplies and other humanitarian logistics, with commercial flights resuming shortly thereafter.

A major expansion of the airport was completed in 2017, carried out in two phases. The project included enlarging the terminal to 49,124 square meters, enabling the airport to accommodate up to 5.9 million passengers annually. The number of check-in counters was increased to 32, and the baggage handling system was upgraded with five conveyor belts. Additionally, the runway was extended from 2,750 meters to 3,000 meters, with a width of 45 meters, to support operations of larger aircraft. The number of taxiways was also increased to eight, with the goal of improving airside traffic flow, enhancing on-time performance, and accommodating a higher volume of flight operations.

In February 2023, the Ministry of Transportation announced plans to reduce the number of international airports in Indonesia from 32 to 15, with Minangkabau International Airport among those initially proposed for reclassification as a domestic airport. The policy was intended to increase domestic passenger movements and promote domestic tourism and mobility. The plan faced opposition from several parties, including the West Sumatra provincial government, and Minangkabau International Airport ultimately retained its international status.

In 2026, the Padang Pariaman Regency government proposed renaming the airport Syekh Burhanuddin International Airport, after Syekh Burhanuddin, a prominent Sufi scholar and practitioner of the Shattariyya order from Sintuk, Sintuk Toboh Gadang District, Padang Pariaman. He is regarded as an important figure in the spread of Islam and the development of the surau as centers of Islamic education in Minangkabau. The proposed name is expected to be submitted to the West Sumatra Provincial Government before being forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation, which has final authority over the airport's renaming.