Indonesia receives grant for expansion of airport serving Morowali nickel hub
Thursday, July 23 2026 - 08:10 AM WIB
By Romel S. Gurky
The Ministry of Transportation has received a Rp 177.99 billion ($10.9 million) grant from PT Zhenshi Indonesia Industrial Park to expand Maleo Airport in Central Sulawesi, as the government seeks to improve transport links to one of the country's key industrial centres.
The grant agreement and handover of the project were signed on Tuesday between PT Zhenshi Indonesia Industrial Park and the ministry's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the airport expansion would strengthen air connectivity to Morowali Regency, home to one of Indonesia's largest nickel processing and industrial hubs.
"Today, we are not only witnessing the completion of an infrastructure project, but also a tangible example of a partnership that contributes to economic development and public welfare," Dudy said in a statement.
He thanked the Chinese government and PT Zhenshi Indonesia Industrial Park for supporting the project, saying the upgraded airport would improve the movement of passengers, workers and cargo while enhancing the region's competitiveness.
The project includes a 300-metre extension of the runway while maintaining its 30-metre width, improvements to the runway strip and runway end safety area, ground stabilisation works, construction of a turning area, installation of airside fencing and upgraded runway markings.
The Civil Aviation Directorate General plans further upgrades, including strengthening the runway pavement, expanding the apron and installing additional navigation and visual aid facilities to allow the airport to handle larger aircraft.
The ministry said the improvements are intended to support the rapid growth of the Morowali industrial area, which hosts major nickel processing facilities supplying Indonesia's electric vehicle battery industry.
Dudy said aviation cooperation between Indonesia and China continued to expand, citing the 17th ASEAN-China Working Group on Regional Air Services Arrangements held in Yogyakarta earlier this month.
The signing ceremony was attended by Li Hongwei, minister counsellor for economic and commercial affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, Civil Aviation Director General Lukman Faisal, and Wang Yuan, director of PT Zhenshi Indonesia Industrial Park.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak