November 27, 2025 | 06:21 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Minister of Transportation, Suntana, stated that the Ministry of Transportation has deployed personnel to the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) airport complex in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. His statement came following the emergence of operational issues at IMIP Airport, which did not involve government authorities.
The team deployed consists of personnel from various agencies. "Yesterday, we deployed several personnel there from the Customs Office, the Police, and the Ministry of Transportation. The airport authority's Directorate General has also been sent there," he stated at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs office on November 26, 2025.
Suntana denied allegations that the airport in the nickel industrial complex is illegal. "It is registered; it is impossible for the airport not to be registered. Yesterday we deployed personnel there," said Suntana.
Previously, several politicians stated that the IMIP Airport operated without government involvement. Member of the House Commission I (DPR), Oleh Soleh, pointed out the absence of state oversight in the IMIP Airport area. According to Soleh, no government officials, including aviation authorities, Customs, or Immigration, were allowed to enter the area.
Soleh urged the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Finance, as well as defense and security authorities to take legal and regulatory measures. "This must be thoroughly investigated. The government must not hesitate to take firm action against anyone operating strategic facilities without state authority," he said.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin believes that without supervision, Indonesia's economic sovereignty could be threatened by the airport's existence. He will report his findings to President Prabowo Subianto.
PT IMIP Media Relations Manager Dedy Kurniawan explained that the Ministry of Transportation is aware of the airport's operations. "The IMIP Special Airport is registered with the Ministry of Transportation," Dedy said in a brief message on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
According to Dedy, the management of special airports, such as IMIP Airport, is regulated in Law No. 1 of 2009 concerning Aviation. Article 247 of the law states that the government, local government, or Indonesian legal entities may construct special airports to support specific activities upon obtaining construction permits from the Minister of Transportation.
Sultan Abdurrahman contributed to this article
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