Wikipedia

Lede Kalumbang Airport

Lede Kalumbang Airport (IATA: TMC, ICAO: WATK), formerly Tambolaka Airport, is a domestic airport serving the town of Tambolaka, the capital of Southwest Sumba Regency in Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The airport is named after Leonardus Lede Kalumbang, the first regent of West Sumba Regency, the administrative area where the airport was located before the establishment of Southwest Sumba Regency in 2007.[4] Located about 5 km (3.1 mi) from the town center, it is one of only two airports on the island of Sumba—the other being Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport in Waingapu—and serves as the main gateway to western Sumba. The airport is currently connected with several major cities such as Denpasar, Kupang and Surabaya.

Lede Kalumbang Airport
Bandar Udara Lede Kalumbang
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Indonesia
OperatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation
ServesTambolaka
LocationTambolaka, Southwest Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Time zoneWITA (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL47.85 m / 157 ft
Coordinates09°24′34.98″S 119°14′40.18″E / 9.4097167°S 119.2444944°E / -9.4097167; 119.2444944
Map
TMC is located in Sumba
TMC
TMC
Location of airport in Sumba Island
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28[1] 2,300 7,546 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers165,416 (Decrease 5.28%)
Cargo (tonnes)430.85 (Decrease 14.58%)
Aircraft movements2,445 (Decrease 24.63%)
Source: DGCA[2][3]

History

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Lede Kalumbang Airport was originally constructed by Japanese forces in 1945, during their occupation of the Dutch East Indies in the final stages of the Pacific Theater of World War II.[5] At the time, the facility was known as Tambolaka Airport. It was built to serve both as a defensive outpost for Sumba and as a strategic military base, supporting Japan’s logistical and operational needs in the region as part of its wider defensive network against the advancing Allied forces. Following the end of the war and Indonesia’s declaration of independence, control of the airport was handed over to the newly established Indonesian authorities.

The airport underwent major improvements in 1982, including the asphalting and repair of its runway to accommodate small aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3, Twin Otter, and CASA. In 1996, the runway was further extended to allow Fokker 27 operations.[5] Another round of strengthening and extension was carried out in 2005, bringing the runway length to 1,600 meters, making it capable of handling Fokker 28 aircraft. It was later extended again to 1,800 meters to accommodate Fokker 100 aircraft. By 2015, the runway of Tambolaka Airport had reached a total length of 2,300 × 45 meters (7,546 × 148 ft), enabling it to serve narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.[6]

On 7 November 2022, Tambolaka Airport was officially renamed Lede Kalumbang Airport in honor of Leonardus Lede Kalumbang, the first regent of West Sumba Regency, elected in 1958. He played a significant role in the development of Sumba in the years following Indonesia’s independence.[4]

To accommodate the growing number of foreign tourists visiting Sumba, proposals have been made to upgrade the airport’s status to an international airport, enabling it to handle direct international flights.[7] However, as of 2025, this plan has not yet been realized.

Facilities and development

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Former ATC tower
Check-in area
Aircraft lined up on the apron

The airport features a runway measuring 2,300 m × 45 m, capable of accommodating narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. It has a single taxiway, 108 m × 23 m in size, and an apron measuring 269 m × 95 m, which can accommodate up to five aircraft, including Boeing 737-500s and ATR 72s.[8] The terminal covers an area of 5,400 m² and is designed in traditional Sumbanese architecture, characterized by a high-pitched central peak on its roof.[8] The terminal has a capacity of 250 passengers per departure and is adorned with murals showcasing the natural beauty of Sumba, such as Waikuri Lagoon and Kampung Prai Ijing.[9] Outside the public area, there are pillars decorated with traditional Sumba motifs, as well as a statue of Pasola, the mounted warrior of Sumba.[9]

Currently, plans are underway to add an additional taxiway and expand the existing apron to 318 m × 95 m, allowing it to accommodate up to six Airbus A320 aircraft.[10] The passenger terminal, which is already operating over capacity, will also be enlarged to handle the growing number of travelers. All of these projects are scheduled to commence in 2027.[10] There are also plans to extend the runway to 2,500 m in the future, although no specific timeline has been set.[11]

Airlines and destinations

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Statistics

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Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics
Year
Passengers
handled
Passenger
% change
Cargo
(tonnes)
Cargo
% change
Aircraft
movements
Aircraft
% change
2006 30,930 Steady 20.80 Steady 1,110 Steady
2007 56,704 Increase 83.33 69.47 Increase 233.99 1,342 Increase 20.90
2008 41,302 Decrease 27.16 59.77 Decrease 13.96 922 Decrease 31.30
2009 55,253 Increase 33.78 146.33 Increase 144.82 1,318 Increase 42.95
2010 84,369 Increase 52.70 70.31 Decrease 51.95 1,622 Increase 23.07
2011 84,910 Increase 0.64 186.22 Increase 164.86 2,634 Increase 62.39
2012 106,341 Increase 25.24 226.39 Increase 21.57 2,232 Decrease 15.26
2013 106,760 Increase 0.39 413.77 Increase 82.77 2,388 Increase 6.99
2014 124,208 Increase 16.34 126.63 Decrease 69.40 2,658 Increase 11.31
2015 131,873 Increase 6.17 194.89 Increase 53.91 2,233 Decrease 15.99
2016 155,086 Increase 17.60 284.36 Increase 45.91 2,378 Increase 6.49
2017 189,988 Increase 22.50 459.81 Increase 61.70 4,105 Increase 72.62
2018 294,984 Increase 55.26 495.91 Increase 7.85 4,909 Increase 19.59
2019 227,230 Decrease 22.97 675.30 Increase 36.17 3,518 Decrease 28.34
2020 150,064 Decrease 33.96 397.37 Decrease 41.16 2,695 Decrease 23.39
2021 105,522 Decrease 29.68 490.48 Increase 23.43 2,392 Decrease 11.24
2022 185,592 Increase 75.88 716.67 Increase 46.12 3,063 Increase 28.05
2023 174,644 Decrease 5.90 504.39 Decrease 29.62 3,244 Increase 5.91
2024 165,416 Decrease 5.28 430.85 Decrease 14.58 2,445 Decrease 24.63
Source: DGCA, BPS[3][18]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On February 11, 2006, Adam Air Flight 782, registration number PK-KKE, lost navigational and communications systems twenty minutes into a flight from Jakarta to Makassar, South Sulawesi. The plane was subsequently flown into a radar "black spot" and was lost for several hours, eventually making an emergency landing at Tambolaka Airport, Sumba (on a different island 481 km away from their intended destination, and southeast from their origin, instead of north-east). The pilot was fired and it was found that Adam Air flight violated multiple safety regulations, including removing an aircraft before it was due for inspection by aviation authorities.[19]

References

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  1. ↑ "Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Udara". Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  2. ↑ "Bandar Udara Lede Kalumbang" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Transportation. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Statistik Transportasi Udara 2024". Statistics Indonesia. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 Tena, Yanto (27 May 2025). "Bandara Tambolaka Resmi Ganti Nama! Ini Arti Lede Kalumbang dan Rute Barunya - Laman 2 dari 2". Tenaers.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  5. 1 2 Tena, Yanto (27 June 2023). "Sejarah Bandara Tambolaka Peninggalan Jepang yang Kini Berubah Nama Jadi Lede Kalumbang". Sumba Stori (in Indonesian). Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "Mengenal Bandara Lede Kalumbang Tambolaka, Gerbang Wisata Sumba Nan Elok – Global News" (in Indonesian). 4 October 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  7. ↑ Lewokeda, Aloysius (27 July 2018). "Tambolaka diharapkan jadi bandara internasional". Antara News NTT. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  8. 1 2 Foto, Kata (26 January 2026). "Bandara di Sumba Naik Kelas, AirNav Perluas Control Tower hingga NTT". beritasatu.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  9. 1 2 Fahrial, Fadlan (4 October 2024). "Mengenal Bandara Lede Kalumbang Tambolaka, Gerbang Wisata Sumba Nan Elok". Suara Merdeka Jakarta (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Pengembangan Apron dan Taxiway Bandara Lede Kalumbang Ditarget Tahun Depan -". Menarasumba.com (in Indonesian). 7 January 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Marboen, Ade P. (28 December 2011). "NTT fokus kembangkan tiga bandara dukung pariwisata". Antara News (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Kamalina, Annasa Rizki (3 January 2026). "Lion Air Group Buka Rute Baru Awal 2026, Ada Rute ke Derawan!" (in Indonesian). Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Flight history for Nam Air flight IN641". flightradar24.com. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "Flight history for Nam Air flight IN630". flightradar24.com. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "Flight history for Nam Air flight IN671". flightradar24.com. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  16. ↑ Kuswaraharja, Dadan (22 May 2026). "Wings Air Buka Rute Baru Tambolaka-Kupang, Keliling NTT Kini Makin Mudah". detikTravel (in Indonesian). Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Wings Air Buka Rute Baru Lombok ke Waingapu 19 Oktober 2025". agent.lionairid. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "Statistik Angkatan Udara 2019" (PDF). DGCA. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  19. ↑ B737 makes emergency landing after nav and comm systems failure - Aviation Safety Network - retrieved March 4, 2007.
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