Indonesian President Joko Widodo marked a watershed moment in the development of the nation's new capital on September 24, 2026, touching down at Nusantara Capital City Airport aboard the Presidential Boeing RJ85. The aircraft arrived from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta under clear skies, taxiing through a traditional ceremonial water salute delivered by airport fire tenders to celebrate the maiden presidential arrival.
The historic landing culminated weeks of intensive flight calibration and safety validation conducted by the Ministry of Transportation. Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi and provincial dignitaries greeted the President on the tarmac, formally presenting the operational clearance of the new aviation hub in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.
Inaugural Presidential Touchdown and Aviation Infrastructure
The airport currently features an operational runway measuring 2,200 meters in length and 45 meters in width, purpose-built to handle presidential aircraft, business jets, and regional narrow-body airliners. Ongoing civil engineering work by state infrastructure contractors is actively extending the runway to 3,000 meters, ensuring that heavy wide-body international aircraft such as the Boeing 777 can operate non-stop intercontinental flights directly into Nusantara in the future.
Following arrival formalities, President Widodo conducted a detailed technical inspection of the VIP terminal facilities, air traffic control radar towers, and emergency response operations. He subsequently traveled along the newly opened expressway corridor to the central government core (KIPP) to inspect the grand Garuda Palace (Istana Garuda), evaluating executive conference rooms and digital command centers ahead of government relocations.
“Praise be to God, the landing was exceptionally smooth and safe. The operationalization of this airport proves that our new capital Nusantara is ready to connect East Kalimantan to the world.”
Inspecting Garuda Palace and Securing the Capital Transition
The successful landing represents a significant symbolic and logistical milestone as Indonesia prepares for the October 2026 executive transition to President-elect Prabowo Subianto. President Widodo emphasized that robust transport arteries are vital to ensuring policy continuity and sustaining momentum for the $32 billion capital relocation initiative, providing concrete proof of delivery to domestic and foreign investors.
Beyond administrative utility, the airport will dramatically compress travel times across East Kalimantan, slashing the transit journey from Balikpapan's international airport to the capital center from two hours down to twenty minutes via connected toll highways. Regional economic leaders commended the milestone, highlighting that enhanced air connectivity will accelerate commercial investment and tourism across eastern Indonesia.
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