Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport

Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport (IATA: PLW, ICAO: WAFF, formerly WAML), formerly known as Masovu Airport, is an airport near Palu, the capital city of the province of Central Sulawesi on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. As the largest airport in Central Sulawesi, Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport serves as the primary gateway to Palu and its surrounding areas. The airport offers connections to major cities across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar, as well as regional flights to other cities and towns in Sulawesi. In 2025, the airport was officially stated as an international airport by the Ministry of Transportation of Indonesia. The airport's name consists of two parts: Mutiara and SIS Al-Jufrie. Mutiara means "pearl" in Indonesian, while SIS Al-Jufrie is an abbreviation of Sayyid Idrus bin Salim Al-Jufri, an Arab-Indonesian religious leader from Central Sulawesi. He was a prominent Islamic missionary in the region until his death in Palu in 1969. SIS Al-Jufri also founded Alkhairaat, a religious organization that grew and flourished across eastern Indonesia. History The airport was built in 1954 by the Central Sulawesi regional government. At the time, the area was still under the jurisdiction of Donggala Regency. It was named Masowu or Masovu, which in the local Kaili language means "dusty." The name reflected the airfield's surroundings, where dust would be stirred up whenever an aircraft landed. The airport was renamed to Mutiara Airport in 1957, meaning "pearl" in Indonesian, during a visit by Indonesia's first president, Sukarno. The name was inspired by Sukarno's observation that the area glistened like a pearl as he landed in Palu. The airport changed hands several times, initially managed by the Donggala Regency government before its administration and oversight were officially transferred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation on October 28, 1964. A new terminal, built with a government investment of 139.2 billion rupiah, was officially inaugurated on April 13, 2014, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Central Sulawesi. On the same occasion, the airport was renamed to Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport, in honor of Idrus bin Salim Al-Jufri, a prominent religious leader from Central Sulawesi. On September 28, 2018, Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport sustained severe damage during the Sulawesi earthquake and was forced to close after large cracks, including one measuring 500 meters long, formed on the runway. Additionally, the airport's control tower collapsed, and its navigation systems suffered extensive damage. Anthonius Gunawan Agung, an air traffic control officer, was directing a Batik Air flight, the last departure of the day, when the earthquake struck. He was fatally injured after falling from the collapsing tower and died hours later. The airport reopened with limited services soon afterwards. The earthquake caused significant damage to both the runway and the terminal building. Reconstruction and renovation were completed in 2024, with the newly restored airport officially inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on March 26, 2024. The total cost of the reconstruction was approximately 599 billion rupiah. The airport's status became international on 11 August 2025 and it plans to operate international flights to 28 countries in 2026. Facilities and development Covering an area of 4,800 square meters, the terminal building can accommodate up to 800 passengers daily. The terminal also has three jetbridges. Mutiara SIS Al-Jufri Airport has a runway that is 2,510 meters long and 45 meters wide, allowing all types of narrow-body aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 to land. The airport's concrete apron width is planned to be extended from 373 meters to 458 meters, adding 2 additional parking stands although the apron current length of 110 meters was not enough to handle aircraft larger than the Boeing 737-900ER such as Airbus A321neo. This expansion would enable the airport to accommodate additional flights in the future. Airlines and destinations Passenger Traffic Gallery References External links Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport official website