Sepinggan International Airport – BPN

The Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport, or most locally known as Sepinggan International Airport, is the Kalimantan region’s busiest airport and the country’s sixth busiest airport. The airport is strategically situated in the eastern portion of the Kalimantan islands and serves Balikpapan, Indonesia and the nearby towns in the East Kalimantan. The Sepinggan International Airport, whose airport code is BPN, dates back to the era of the Dutch colonization and is primarily used for the Dutch Oil Company’s transportation services in the region. It was onlyin 1960 when the airport was converted to public and commercial use.

Best Time to Visit

BPN-Sepinggan International Airport was constructed years before the country gained independence from the Dutch government. Since then, it underwent two renovations from 1991 to 1997. The first renovation began in 1991 and was finished in 1994. During this phase, the taxiway and passenger and cargo terminals were reconstructed, and the runway was lengthened. The second renovation oversaw the refurbishment of the administration buildings, as well as the fuel depots and hangars. The new facilities were finally operational in 1997. As of 2018, the airport accommodates no less than 7.5 million passengers, 12 passenger airlines, and three cargo airlines. You can easily drive to the tourists' sites of Balikpapan from the airport.

What to Do & Area Attractions

There are a handful of hotels around the airport, but the Aston Balikpapan Hotel and Residence, with just 15 minutes from the airport, and the Swiss-Belinn Balikpapan is just 10 minutes from the airport, and both hotels offer free airport transportation to their guests.