Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport

During the 'Indonesia Infrastructure Summit' in early 2005, airport infrastructure improvement projects including the new Lombok International Airport were presented to an international audience:

• Project milestones for the US$138.9 million Lombok project (Phase 1) are Review of the 1993 Master Plan in 2005; detailed design 2005–2006; investment bidding 2005–2007; construction bidding 2007; implementation 2008–2011; operation from 2011 onwards.[5]
• The expansion of Lombok's existing Selaparang Airport, near Mataram, the capital city of West Nusa Tenggara province, is restricted by the close proximity of hills. The current state of urban development is major constraint to an expansion. Therefore, the development of the new Lombok Airport will enhance the development of Mataram city.[6]

The Indonesian government is actively promoting Lombok and neighboring Sumbawa as Indonesia's number two tourism destination after Bali. The president of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Ministry of Cultural and Tourism, and the regional governor have made public statements supporting the development of Lombok as a tourism destination and setting a goal of 1 million visitors annually by the year 2012 for the combined destination of Lombok and Sumbawa. [7][8] This has seen infrastructure improvements to the island including road upgrades and the construction of a much delayed new international airport in the islands south.[9]

The Lombok International Airport is a cornerstone of this tourism destination development initiated by the Government of Indonesia and regional NTB stakeholders.

The construction was delayed and the opening date re-scheduled several times. Many issues were understood to be contributing to the delays including problems with site security, thefts of construction materials and equipment from the site, issues of land disputation and tensions with some of the local community over compensation, and employment on the site. Other issues involved the quality of construction of the main runway and taxiways and problems with the control tower.

Delays also occurred in ratifying access for surface transport corridors including right of ways for the main connecting road to the city of Mataram. The surface connections were still under construction in late 2010 and some of the rights of way for the connecting highway to Mataram were in disputation with the current landowners at the time of opening the airport.[10][11][12][13] In September 2010 the NTB governor, TGH M Zainul Majdi, expressed his concerns over the ongoing delays in achieving a 2010 opening and services launch in a letter to the vice president of Indonesia, the Ministry of BUMN, Ministry of Transportation as to Angkasa Pura I the airport operator.

The secretary of commission III NTB Council, Suharto reported in 2010 that the delays to completion of the Lombok International Airport were due to a lack of funding to the order of Rp 76 Billion. Delays in project completion are consequently delaying commissioning testing by Angkasa Pura Company, certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation Republic of Indonesia as well as international certification requirements.[14] Aside from the funding shortfalls the issues stated to be constraining completion were the completion of an airport service road, aviation signage, terminal interiors, a terminal expansion from 12,000 to 21,000 sq m, power supplies, drainage and sewage works, and the completion of the construction of access roads. Angkasa Pura I were reported to have approved an additional budget of Rp116 billion required for the completion of Lombok International Airport in 2011 on 31 December 2010.[15][16]

The project worth Rp.945.8 billion ($111.2 million) is mainly funded by PT Angkasa Pura I.[17]

Bandara Internasional Lombok (BIL) had several operational names proposed. In January 2009 results of a public opinion poll conducted in Lombok indicated that Lombok International Airport (LIA) was chosen by 40.4% of respondents, Sasak International Airport (SIA) 20%, Rinjani International Airport (RIA) 46 16.7%, Mandalika the International Airport (MIA) 10.9%, Selaparang International Airport ( SIA) 8%, Pejanggik International Airport (PIA) 2.9%, and Arya Banjar Brittle International Airport (ABGIA) 1.1%.[18]

The IATA code LOP only came into formal use in late November 2011. Before that the IATA code AMI, from Selaparang, was used by the airlines servicing the airport. Garuda and Batavia began to partially adopt the LOP code in their booking and ticketing systems at that time. Lion Air was using AMI at the end of November 2011; however, all flights were operating solely to and from Lombok International Airport.

The airport site is at Tanak Awu, in Kabupaten Lombok Tengah (Regency of Central Lombok), Lombok, Indonesia, southwest of Mataram the provincial capital of Nusa Tenggara Barat and a few kilometers southwest of the small regional city of Praya. The airport deploys in 551.8 hectares with cost Rp.945.8 billion ($108 million) which PT Angkasa Pura-I shouldering Rp.795.8 billion, West Nusa Tenggara province Rp.110 billion and Central Lombok Regency Rp.40 billion.[19][20]

Lombok International Airport has the second largest area after Soekarno–Hatta International Airport at the time of the opening of the airport.[21]

When the Lombok International Airport became operational, all the flight schedules at Lombok's Selaparang Airport were moved to the new facility.

As Selaparang Airport never accommodated widebody aircraft, it is expected that further international and domestic services will soon supplement the existing routes providing higher passenger loads and freight volumes to those of the airport at Ampenan.

Citilink Airbus A320 parked at Lombok International Airport

Wings Air ATR 72–500 parked at Lombok International Airport

Entry and exit passport stamps at Lombok International Airport. Note that they bear the name of the old airport, Selaparang.

The airport is served by road links to the city of Mataram which is approximately 40 km to the northwest of the airport. It is approximately 55 km southeast of the established Senggigi tourism precinct of West Lombok. An integral component of the airport project was the building of a new link road to the city of Mataram to provide ready access to the city and tourism facilities on the west coast of the island. At the time of opening in late 2011 some sections of the new road remained incomplete. The developing area of Kuta and Selong Blanak lie 30 minutes to the south and provide some reasonably developed tourist facilities including hotels and restaurants.

The airport is not served by rail connections, and there are none available on the island.

The site is some distance from existing townships and external services; the nearest regional city is Praya, to the immediate north of the airport.

Tour desk, booking kiosks, and other facilities are available at the main terminal.

The airport is undergoing a massive development project. After completion, the passenger capacity will be increased to 7.5 million, the runway will be expanded to 3,300 meters to allow wide bodied aircraft.

• Category VIII – trained personnel, 30
• Foam tender – Type I
• Foam tender – Type II
• Crash Car Type 1 – 3 units
• Rescue Tender – I unit
• Rescue Boat – 2 units
• Nurse Tender – 1 unit
• Ambulance – 1 unit
• Utility Car – 2 unit
• Tanker – 2 units
• Commando Car – 1 unit

The airport has no capability for the removal of disabled aircraft.[24]

• Cargo handling facilities are provided by PT Gapura, PT. Jas, PT PTN, PT Kokapura
• Fuelling facilities – Avtur 50 / Jet A1 – 2 dispenser cap 550 KL, 3 tank refueller@12 KL 1 tank refueller @ 15 KL
• De-Icing Facilities – none
• Hangar space for visiting aircraft – none
• Repair facilities for visiting aircraft – none
• AD Administration – Mon–Thu: 00.00 – 08.30, Fri: 23.00–07.30
• Custom and Immigration – Mon–Sun: 2300–1300
• Health and Sanitation – Mon–Sun: 2300–1300
• AIS Briefing Office – Mon–Sun: 2300–1300
• ATS Reporting Office – Mon–Sun: 2300–1300
• MET Briefing Office – Mon–Sun: 2300–1300
• ATS – Mon–Sun: 2300–1300
• Security – 24hrs

Information on flight procedures, communication procedures and airfield beacon and navigational aids were published by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (Indonesia) in an AIRAC document published on 28 July 2011 with an effective date of 22 September 2011.[24]

B747, B767, A380, A350 XWB, A340, A330, B777, C130, A320, B737-900, CRJ1000, F100, F28, F50, IL-96, SSJ-100, MA60, ATR72, CN235,[24] XL2.

• Stands Nr. 5 and 7 – available for B747, A330, B777, or below. Avio–Bridge available, with a RLG visual docking guidance system installed
• Stands Nr. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 – available for B737-900 or below
• Security line apron taxiway – 76.00 m (distance)[24]

The airport was a temporary base, from 1 October-1 December 2011, for a local flight training academy "LIFT" (Lombok Institute of Flight Technology) operating 3 Liberty XL2 training aircraft 6 days per week.

• PT. Angkasa Pura 1 (PERSERO)
• Bandara Internasional Lombok official website
• Kabupaten Lombok Tengah, the Regency of Central Lombok
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation Republic of Indonesia