Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport

Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport
Bandar Udara Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Indonesia
OperatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation
ServesPalu
LocationPalu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
Time zoneWITA (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL77.4 m (254 ft)
Coordinates00°55′07″S 119°54′35″E / 0.91861°S 119.90972°E / -0.91861; 119.90972
Websitewww.bandaramutiarasaj.com
Maps
Sulawesi region in Indonesia
Sulawesi region in Indonesia
PLW/WAFF is located in Sulawesi
PLW/WAFF
PLW/WAFF
Location of airport in Central Sulawesi / Indonesia
PLW/WAFF is located in Indonesia
PLW/WAFF
PLW/WAFF
PLW/WAFF (Indonesia)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15/33 2,510 8,235 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers825,126 (Increase 6.1%)
Cargo (tonnes)12,644 (Increase 14.7%)
Aircraft movements7,721 (Decrease 0.2%)
Source: DGCA[1][2]

Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport (IATA: PLW, ICAO: WAFF), formerly known as Masovu Airport, is an international airport near Palu, the capital city of the province of Central Sulawesi on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. As the largest and busiest airport in Central Sulawesi, Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport serves as the primary gateway to Palu and its surrounding areas. The airport offers connections to major cities across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar, as well as regional flights to other cities and towns in Sulawesi. In 2025, the airport was officially designated as an international airport by the Ministry of Transportation.[3] It began serving charter flights to Guangzhou, China, in 2026.[4]

The airport's name consists of two parts: Mutiara and SIS Al-Jufrie. Mutiara means "pearl" in Indonesian, while SIS Al-Jufrie is an abbreviation of Sayyid Idrus bin Salim Al-Jufri, an Arab-Indonesian religious leader from Central Sulawesi. He was a prominent Islamic missionary in the region until his death in Palu in 1969. SIS Al-Jufri also founded Alkhairaat, a religious organization that grew and flourished across eastern Indonesia.[5]

History

Construction and early history

Former terminal of Mutiara Airport, demolished in 2014

The airport was built in 1954 by the Central Sulawesi regional government. At the time, the area was still under the jurisdiction of Donggala Regency.[6] It was named Masowu or Masovu, which in the local Kaili language means "dusty." The name reflected the airfield's surroundings, where dust would be stirred up whenever an aircraft landed.[6] The airport was renamed to Mutiara Airport in 1957, meaning "pearl" in Indonesian, during a visit by Indonesia's first president, Sukarno. The name was inspired by Sukarno's observation that the area glistened like a pearl as he landed in Palu.[6]

During the Permesta rebellion in the late 1950s, the airport was captured by Permesta rebels along with the city of Palu. It was recaptured by government forces on 1 April 1958 following a joint operation by the Indonesian Air Force and the Mobile Brigade Corps.[7][8]

The airport changed hands several times. It was initially managed by the Donggala Regency Government before being transferred to the Indonesian Air Force in 1958 during the height of the Permesta rebellion.[9] Administration was returned to the Donggala Regency Government in 1963, before the airport was officially transferred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation on 28 October 1964.[10] The airport began serving commercial flights to Jakarta via Makassar on 13 October 1964, operated by Garuda Indonesia, making it one of the last two major cities in Sulawesi, along with Kendari, to be connected to the capital.[11]

By the 1970s, the airport's facilities remained very modest. Its runway measured only 1,100 m × 30 m, limiting the types of aircraft it could accommodate to smaller Fokker aircraft.[12][13] Despite these limitations, the airport was considered crucial, as it was the only airport in Central Sulawesi handling scheduled passenger flights at the time.[12] It had already been designated as a transit hub, with flights to Manado and Balikpapan, while also serving Ambon and Ternate in the Maluku Islands via Manado.[12] These services were operated by Bouraq Indonesian Airlines.[12] The airport also served as a hub for pioneer flights to remote areas of Central Sulawesi, including Toli-Toli and Luwuk, operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines using DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.[14]

Contemporary history

Check-in hall

In 2010, construction began on a new terminal to replace the old terminal, which had become overcrowded due to increasing passenger numbers.[15] The new terminal, built with a government investment of 139.2 billion rupiah, was officially inaugurated on 13 April 2014, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Central Sulawesi.[16] On the same occasion, the airport was renamed to Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport, in honor of Idrus bin Salim Al-Jufri, a prominent religious leader from Central Sulawesi.[16] He was the founder of Alkhairaat, the largest Islamic community organization in eastern Indonesia based in Palu.[5]

On 28 September 2018, Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport sustained severe damage during the Sulawesi earthquake and was forced to close after large cracks, including one measuring 500 meters long, formed on the runway.[17] Additionally, the airport's control tower collapsed, and its navigation systems suffered extensive damage. Anthonius Gunawan Agung, an air traffic control officer, was directing a Batik Air flight, the last departure of the day, when the earthquake struck.[18] He was fatally injured after falling from the collapsing tower and died hours later. Major structural damage was also reported in the airport, with the roof the airport's terminal reportedly caved in. The airport was reopened for limited operation on 29 September 2018. Due to the damage in the airport, hundreds of passengers were stranded and were told to wait in the airport's apron.[19] Normal operation returned on service on 30 September.[20]

Following the earthquake, the airport terminal was rebuilt and renovated. The reconstruction and renovation works were completed in 2024, with the newly restored airport officially inaugurated by then-President Joko Widodo. The total cost of the reconstruction was approximately 599 billion rupiah.[21]

The airport's status became international on 11 August 2025 and it plans to operate international flights to 28 countries in 2026.[22][23][24] The airport's first international flight was inaugurated on 6 August 2026, with a charter service from Palu to Guangzhou, China, operated by Garuda Indonesia.[4] Plans are underway to designate the airport as a Hajj embarkation point, with flights to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, planned to serve Hajj pilgrims.[25]

Facilities and development

Boarding gate

The passenger terminal covers an area of 19,000 m² and has a capacity of up to 3 million passengers annually.[26] It is also equipped with three jet bridges.[27] The airport features a modern architectural design and consists of two floors. The check-in hall and baggage claim area are located on the first floor, while the boarding gates and commercial areas are located on the second floor.[28] The airport is equipped with 10 check-in counters and three baggage conveyor belts.[29][30] With the airport's designation as an international airport, additional facilities were added to support international services, particularly Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ).[31]

On the airside, Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri Airport has a runway that is 2,510 meters long and 45 meters wide, allowing all types of narrow-body aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 to land.[21] The runway extension was completed in 2024, increasing its length from 2,250 metres.[21] The airport’s apron can currently accommodate up to nine narrow-body aircraft.[32] The concrete apron is planned to be widened from 373 metres to 458 metres, adding two additional aircraft parking stands. However, the current apron length of 110 metres is insufficient to accommodate aircraft larger than the Boeing 737-900ER, such as the Airbus A321neo. The runway will also be optimized and extended to 3,000 m to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A330, requiring the acquisition of 36,000 square meters of land.[33][34]

The airport is planned to become a "smart airport" through the integration of advanced technologies, including U-APOC and digital platforms, to improve operational efficiency and passenger services.[35] One of the main initiatives is Total Airport Management, which integrates airport operations into a centralized system to enable real-time and collaborative decision-making.[35]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Batik Air Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta,[36] Makassar[37]
China Southern Airlines Charter: Guangzhou[38]
Garuda Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[39]
Charter: Guangzhou[4]
Lion Air Makassar,[40] Surabaya[41]
Super Air Jet Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[42][43]
Susi Air Ampana,[44] Poso[45]
Wings Air Balikpapan,[46] Buol,[47] Luwuk,[48] Morowali,[49] Toli-Toli[50]

Traffic

A Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 at Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie International Airport
Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics
Year
Passengers
handled
Passenger
% change
Cargo
(tonnes)
Cargo
% change
Aircraft
movements
Aircraft
% change
2006380,885Steady3,632Steady4,449Steady
2007432,260Increase 13.54,226Increase 16.45,180Increase 16.4
2008406,882Decrease 5.93,474Decrease 17.84,489Decrease 13.3
2009548,837Increase 34.94,537Increase 30.65,414Increase 20.6
2010697,614Increase 27.16,439Increase 41.96,430Increase 18.8
2011810,965Increase 16.28,359Increase 29.87,234Increase 12.5
2012846,643Increase 4.45,749Decrease 31.26,950Decrease 3.9
20131,012,387Increase 19.64,117Decrease 28.48,640Increase 24.3
20141,013,279Increase 0.13,958Decrease 3.97,876Decrease 8.8
2015749,553Decrease 26.03,433Decrease 13.36,368Decrease 19.1
20161,107,102Increase 47.73,553Increase 3.511,872Increase 86.4
20171,052,209Decrease 5.06,332Increase 78.211,848Decrease 0.2
20182,009,677Increase 91.07,189Increase 13.513,347Increase 12.7
20191,793,292Decrease 10.87,045Decrease 2.012,699Decrease 4.9
2020452,056Decrease 74.86,561Decrease 6.95,007Decrease 60.6
2021435,812Decrease 3.69,940Increase 51.55,518Increase 10.2
2022655,764Increase 50.512,056Increase 21.37,291Increase 32.1
2023777,572Increase 18.811,023Decrease 8.67,736Increase 6.1
2024825,126Increase 6.112,644Increase 14.77,721Decrease 0.2
Source: DGCA, BPS[2][51]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 29 March 1977, Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 516, operated by a DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed into the foothills of Mount Tinombala approximately five minutes after departing Mutiara Airport on a flight from Palu to Tolitoli. The aircraft was carrying 20 passengers and three crew members.[52] The survivors were forced to endure five days in the jungle before being discovered on 5 April by a joint search-and-rescue operation conducted by the Indonesian Air Force and Basarnas.[52] A total of 13 occupants were killed in the accident.[52]
  • On 14 January 2017, Wings Air Flight 1156, operated by an ATR 72-500, caught fire in its right engine approximately 10 minutes after departing Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport on a flight from Palu to Luwuk.[53] The aircraft subsequently returned safely to the airport. No casualties were reported, although several passengers were reportedly shocked by the incident.[54]

References

  1. ↑ "Bandar Udara Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Transportation. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Statistik Transportasi Udara 2024". Statistics Indonesia. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "Bandara Mutiara SIS Al Jufri Palu Resmi Berstatus Internasional, Wakil Ketua MPR RI Apresiasi Pemprov Sulteng". www.mpr.go.id (in Indonesian). 11 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Sukri, Moh (6 August 2026). "Central Sulawesi Launches First Direct Flights to Guangzhou". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 Mutiah, Dinny (2 October 2018). "Asal-usul Nama Bandara Mutiara SIS Al Jufrie yang Sempat Lumpuh karena Gempa Palu". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Towantja, Moh Awaluddin. "Sejarah Penamaan Bandar Udara di Palu Sulawesi Tengah Menjadi Bandara Mutiara dan Penanganannya - Kabar Palu". Sejarah Penamaan Bandar Udara di Palu Sulawesi Tengah Menjadi Bandara Mutiara dan Penanganannya - Kabar Palu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  7. ↑ Pirngadie, Rudi (1958). Rebels Without a Cause (The Permesta Affair). New Nusantara Publishing Company. p. 11.
  8. ↑ Djuanda, H.; Penerangan, Indonesia Departemen (1958). Government Statement on the Current State of Affairs: By Prime Minister H. Djuanda in the Plenary Meeting of the House of Representatives on July 4th, 1958. Ministry of Information, Republic of Indonesia. p. 20.
  9. ↑ MASTURA, RUSDY (10 April 2016). PALU & GODAM MELAWAN KEANGKUHAN: Kisah di Balik Permohonan Maaf pada Korban Pelanggaran HAM Peristiwa 1965 - 1966 (in Indonesian). PT. Rayyana Komunikasindo. p. 282. ISBN 978-602-70792-5-0.
  10. ↑ Amalia, Fadhila (21 October 2023). "Sejarah Bandara Mutiara Sis Aljufri Palu yang Disomasi Soal Karya Cipta". Tribunpalu.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  11. ↑ Antara. Indonesian National News Agency. 1964. p. 13.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Pantjawarsa Supersemar (in Indonesian). Jajasan Laita. 1972. p. 459.
  13. ↑ Desa, Indonesia Direktorat Prasarana (1972). Laporan pre feasibility study resettlement desa: di Kabupaten Donggala, Kabupaten Poso, Propinsi Sulawesi Tengah (in Indonesian). p. 12.
  14. ↑ Byanto, S. Tragedi Tinombala (in Indonesian). p. 14.
  15. ↑ "Terminal Baru Bandara Palu". antarafoto.com (in Indonesian). 13 April 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Terminal Baru Bandara Palu Resmi Dioperasikan". beritasatu.com (in Indonesian). Berita Satu. 13 April 2014.
  17. ↑ Retaduari, Elza Astari. "Runway Bandara Palu Retak-retak, Digunakan untuk Darurat". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  18. ↑ "Anthonius Gunawan Agung: Disebut 'pahlawan nasional' oleh pilot Batik Air yang pesawatnya diselamatkan". BBC News Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  19. ↑ "Terminal Bandara Palu Rusak, Warga Tunggu Pesawat di Pinggir Landasan". Detik. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  20. ↑ "Para Calon Penumpang Pilih Menginap di Bandara Palu". Detik. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 BPMI Setpres (26 March 2024). "Presiden Jokowi Resmikan Rekonstruksi Bandara Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri dan Tiga Bandara Lainnya". Presiden RI (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  22. ↑ "Bandara Mutiara SIS Al Jufri Palu Resmi Berstatus Internasional, Wakil Ketua MPR RI Apresiasi Pemprov Sulteng". MPR.
  23. ↑ "Mutiara Airport in Palu Ready to Serve International Flights". rri.co.id.
  24. ↑ "Mutiara SIS Al-jufri Airport in Palu Ready to Serve International Flights to 28 Countries". Kabar Selebes. 17 September 2025.
  25. ↑ Amir, Nur Amalia (6 August 2026). "Bandara Mutiara resmi layani penerbangan internasional Palu-Guangzhou". Antara News (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Fadilah, Ilyas (26 March 2024). "Menhub Sebut Bandara Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri Palu Siap Genjot Konektivitas ke IKN". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "Jangan Kaget, Bandara di Palu Ini Kinclong dan Bersih". detikfinance (in Indonesian). 15 April 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Nursastri, Sri Anindiati (20 January 2026). "Kerennya Bandara Mutiara SIS Al Jufri di Palu". detikTravel (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "Berita Acara Penetapan Kapasitas Bandar Udara Periode Winter 2023 (29 Oktober 2023 s.d. 30 Maret 2024)" (PDF). IASM – Indonesia Airport Slot Management (in Indonesian). 1 June 2023.
  30. ↑ "Operasional Bandara Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Berangsur Membaik". JPNN (in Indonesian). 13 October 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Supardi, Mugni (13 February 2026). "Ruang CIQ Dikebut Jelang Penerbangan Perdana ke Guangzhou". Radar Palu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  32. ↑ Supardi, Mugni (14 February 2026). "Dengan Runway 2.500 Meter, Bandara Mutiara Palu Siap Layani China Southern A321". Radar Palu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  33. ↑ Amir, Nur Amalia (18 September 2025). "Pemprov Sulteng target Bandara Mutiara Sis Aljufri layani penerbangan internasional 2026". Antara News Palu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Supardi, Mugni (8 March 2026). "Pemda Proses Pembebasan Lahan Runway Bandara Palu". Radar Palu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  35. 1 2 Supardi, Mugni (18 April 2026). "Bandara Mutiara Palu Bersiap Jadi Smart Airport". Radar Palu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Batik Air Flight from Mutiara SIS Al Jufrie Airport to Soekarno Hatta International Airport". www.airpaz.com.
  37. ↑ "Batik Air Buka Rute Baru Makassar – Palu". KONTAN.CO.ID. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  38. ↑ "Palu Tembus Guangzhou: Terbang Langsung, Ekonomi Sulteng Makin Meroket?". kausa.id (in Indonesian). 7 August 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Garuda Indonesia Flight from Mutiara SIS Al Jufrie Airport to Soekarno Hatta International Airport". www.airpaz.com.
  40. ↑ "Lion Air Flight from Mutiara SIS Al Jufrie Airport to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport". www.airpaz.com.
  41. ↑ "Lion Air Flight from Mutiara SIS Al Jufrie Airport to Juanda International Airport". www.airpaz.com.
  42. ↑ "Starting January 3, Super Air Jet Opens 3 New Routes: Ternate, Jayapura & Palu". travel.detik. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  43. ↑ "Super Air Jet Opens New Routes to Ternate, Palu and Jayapura Starting January 3". papua.tribunnews. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  44. ↑ Mari, Abdee (8 June 2026). "Harga Avtur Melonjak 200 Persen, Tiket Susi Air Rute Palu-Ampana Resmi Naik - www.KabarSelebes.id" (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  45. ↑ "3 Tahun Vakum, Bandara Kasiguncu Kembali Didarati Pesawat". Kompas.tv (in Indonesian). 11 January 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  46. ↑ "Wings Air Buka Penerbangan Palu-Balikpapan". sultengraya.com (in Indonesian). 20 January 2023.
  47. ↑ "Wings Air Buka Rute Lokal Sulawesi Tengah, Palu - Buol". travel.detik. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  48. ↑ Pribady, Muhammad Lugas (6 November 2024). "Mudahkan Aksesibilitas Masyarakat, Wings Air Buka Rute Baru Luwuk-Palu". detikTravel (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  49. ↑ Widodo, Wahyu Setyo (29 June 2024). "Wings Air Pede Tambah Frekuensi Terbang Rute Palu-Toli Toli & Palu-Morowali". travel.detik.com.
  50. ↑ Widodo, Wahyu Setyo (17 October 2025). "Berkat Wings Air, Bandara Sultan Bantilan di Tolitoli Makin Terkoneksi". detikTravel (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  51. ↑ "Statistik Angkatan Udara 2019" (PDF). DGCA. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  52. 1 2 3 Isnaeni, Hendri F. (29 March 2018). "Pesawat Jatuh di Tinombala". Historia.ID (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  53. ↑ Bua, Jafar G. (14 January 2017). "Sempat Terbang, Wings Air Mendarat Lagi karena Gangguan di Mesin". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  54. ↑ Wahyu Nurdiyanto, Ahmad Sukmana, Ahmad; Nurdiyanto, Wahyu (14 January 2017). "Pesawat Wings Air Terbakar Saat Mengudara". TIMES Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 August 2026.
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