15 Jul 2025
Mangupura, July 15, 2025 In an effort to ensure flight safety and security, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia is currently carrying out pavement maintenance on the runway of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. The overlay work covers the entire runway surface, spanning 3,000 meters in length and 45 meters in width.
The overlay is part of the airport’s infrastructure maintenance program to maintain the structural strength of the runway. A flat and durable surface with a certain level of strength is required during aircraft takeoff and landing, as mandated by aviation safety standards.
Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, explained that while the airport’s management has focused on revitalization and optimization of landside facilities over the past two years including terminals, internal access roads, and the construction of a pedestrian bridge this year’s priority is to enhance performance on the airside, particularly the runway.
"The runway is one of the airport’s main operational assets, and as the airport operator, we bear a great responsibility to ensure aviation safety and security at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. Therefore, we must guarantee that this facility remains in proper condition, both in terms of strength and reliability," said Syaugi.
He added that the ongoing overlay project is expected to take 10 months to complete. “Prior to this, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the runway pavement condition. Based on the results, we decided to proceed with maintenance through the overlay method,” he noted.
Based on 2024 flight traffic, I Gusti Ngurah Rai ranked as the second busiest airport in Indonesia, handling a total of 142,000 aircraft movements or an average of 388 flights per day. The airport also serves large wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER (B773ER) and the Airbus A380-800 (A388).
"With flight traffic increasing every year and airlines deploying more wide-body aircraft, particularly for long-haul routes, we designed the runway pavement to withstand high temperatures and heavy loads. This step is crucial as many international routes to and from Bali use wide-body aircraft. As we know, I Gusti Ngurah Rai is currently the only airport in Indonesia serving regular flights of the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the A388," he explained.
To ensure smooth and safe flight operations, the airport management has coordinated closely with AirNav Indonesia Denpasar Branch and airline operators.
"We have also issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), as the runway will be temporarily closed during the overlay work from 02:00 to 07:00 WITA. With this notification, airline operators are required to adjust their flight schedules to and from I Gusti Ngurah Rai. Flight safety is an absolute priority that must be fulfilled and supported by all stakeholders at the airport," Syaugi concluded.
