BALI – The proposed development of the Bandara Internasional Bali Utara (North Bali International Airport) has once again become a hot-button issue. Although Peraturan Presiden Nomor 12 Tahun 2025 clearly lists “the construction of the New Bali / North Bali International Airport” as one of its strategic programmes, remarks by officials of the Pemerintah Provinsi Bali have sparked public doubt. The acting Head of the Province’s Transportation Agency, Nusakti Yasa Weda, affirmed that the presidential regulation does not explicitly state the airport’s location.
Unsurprisingly, this comment drew criticism from various quarters — especially public policy analyst Putu Suasta — who argued that the province’s stance reflects an inability by the provincial government to interpret policy documents properly, and appears to open up new bargaining room to relocate the strategic project away from North Bali to another area in Bali.
In its official statement, Nusakti pointed out that Appendix IV of Perpres 12/2025 — covering Regional Development Directions for the Province of Bali — indeed includes several strategic intervention plans, such as toll-roads, mass transit, and the new airport. However, he said:
“The inclusion of the New / North Bali International Airport in Perpres 12/2025 is still of a directive nature. Determination of location and implementation must adhere to existing laws and regulations, including technical and operational feasibility studies in accordance with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).”
According to Putu Suasta, this statement in the context of Bali’s development politics actually opens a new interpretation — one in which the airport’s location (traditionally directed to Kubutambahan in Kabupaten Buleleng/North Bali) could still be changed. Originally, the spirit of the Perpres drafted by the Bappenas (the National Development Planning Agency) was to promote balanced development between the already-advanced South Bali region and North Bali, which has long lagged in infrastructure and consequently in social-economic outcomes.
“Therefore, when you read a state document like this Perpres you must read the whole thing and understand it entirely,” said Putu Suasta. He pointed out that in Article 2 paragraph 8 it is clearly stated that “the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) must be adhered to by all development actors of government and involve non-government development actors”.
He added: “There can be no new interpretation, no more bargaining over the location of the North Bali International Airport — yes, in Kubutambahan as mandated by the Perpres.”
Putu Suasta further argued that Bappenas’ role in drafting the Perpres cannot be reduced to “just a directive”. “A Perpres is a legal product under the law. That means the regional development directions for Bali are already locked in there. It’s not a negotiation room for officials,” he remarked.
The idea of relocating the airport from North Bali to a western or other part of Bali is not new. Recently, suggestions emerged to shift it to Sumberklampok (still in Buleleng), very near the Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park). However, if the policy direction keeps changing, the public sees the provincial government as defying the mandate of Perpres No. 12/2025.
More bluntly, Putu Suasta — an academic who graduated from the and New York University — said:
“It is very regrettable if the acting head of the Transportation Department cannot read the full meaning of that Perpres. The document clearly names Kubutambahan in North Bali as the strategic location. If then there is an interpretation as if the Perpres is still only directive and can be moved elsewhere, the public has the right to ask: what’s going on with the Bali provincial government?”
For two decades, development in Bali has tended to be concentrated in the south — Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar. As a result, regional economic disparities have widened. According to Bappenas data for 2024, 87% of Bali’s GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product) comes from the southern region, while North Bali contributes around 8%.
Thus, the new airport in North Bali is not just a transport infrastructure project — it is a symbol of redistribution. It is expected to stimulate alternative tourism, open up new job opportunities, and reduce pressure on traffic around Bandara I Gusti Ngurah Rai.
Risk of Uncertainty: Investors Waiting, Residents Waiting
Since 2020, several local and foreign companies have shown interest in developing the North Bali airport, including a consortium of Canadian and Chinese investors. Land around Kubutambahan was even surveyed for geotechnical analysis.
Yet the tug-of-war of political interests has kept the project from moving beyond discourse. Now, the statement by the acting transportation head that “the location is not yet certain” adds another layer of uncertainty. According to Putu Suasta, the regional government’s hesitation will have serious consequences for investor interest:
“Who wants to invest if policy direction changes every time an official changes? We are talking about a project worth trillions of rupiah, not a small project,” he emphasized.
Legally, the direction for the airport development is already listed in Appendix IV of Perpres 12/2025, which includes a map of Bali along with its strategic interventions including a new airport and connecting toll roads toward the North Bali airport. In other words, the Perpres already positions the new airport as an integral part of the North Bali development corridor.
If the provincial government insists the location is still undetermined however, Suasta argues a fundamental question arises: is the provincial government unclear on the meaning of “regional development directions” in national planning?
The clarity of the Bali provincial government’s position on this national strategic project should reflect professionalism and integrity of the bureaucracy. When statements by officials open up new interpretations, the credibility of local governance is also at stake.
Because the public sees: if the government itself can’t properly read a Perpres, how can it lead the implementation of complex policy such as the construction of an international airport? Furthermore, this ambiguous stance also risks slowing the entire bureaucratic chain.
In the end, this airport issue is not just about location, but about the future trajectory of Bali’s development. Will Bali remain trapped in a lopsided growth model — relying mainly on the southern region — or will it dare to enact economic redistribution through strategic infrastructure in the north?
Suasta closed his remarks with a firm tone: “If the Bali provincial government continues to act hesitantly, history will record that the great opportunity to advance North Bali will be lost not because of lack of funds, but because of bureaucratic confusion.”
The New Bali Airport is not only a physical construction project, but a symbol of regional justice. If policy directions continue to blur, the first thing to take off will not be the airplane, but the investor and public trust.***
