Sultan Thaha Airport

Sultan Thaha Airport (IATA: DJB, ICAO: WIJJ), formerly known as Paalmerah Airport, is a domestic airport serving Jambi, the provincial capital of Jambi Province, Indonesia. Located in the Paalmerah suburb of Jambi, the airport is named after Thaha Syaifuddin (1816–1904), the last Sultan of Jambi and a national hero of Indonesia, and is located about 7.2 km (4.5 miles) from the Jambi city center. Serving as the primary gateway to Jambi and its surrounding regions, the airport provides vital connections to major cities in western Indonesia such as Jakarta, Batam, Medan, and Yogyakarta, while also supporting regional flights to nearby cities and towns within Jambi Province. The airport has previously served as a departure point for Hajj pilgrims traveling to Mecca and also operated seasonal flights to Jeddah for the same purpose. Additionally, there were plans to launch international flights to Malaysia and Singapore, although these have yet to materialize. History Sultan Thaha Airport was originally constructed in 1940 by the Dutch colonial government and was initially named Paalmerah Airport. The name Paalmerah was derived from a boundary marker (a stone peg) used by the Dutch to delineate the airport's perimeter, which was later painted red. Following Indonesia's independence, the airport came under the operation of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in the 1950s. At that time, the runway measured 900 meters by 25 meters and was surfaced with gravel, accommodating aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3. In 1978, Paalmerah Airport was renamed Sultan Thaha Airport, in honor of Thaha Syaifuddin—the last Sultan of Jambi and a recognized national hero of Indonesia—who resisted Dutch colonial rule in Jambi and was ultimately killed by Dutch forces in 1904. Following the renaming, significant expansions were undertaken at the airport. In 1978, Runway Visual Aid Lights, including VASI, CCR, and REILS, were installed. In 1991, the runway was extended from its original 900 meters to 1,800 meters with a width of 30 meters to accommodate larger aircraft and meet the growing demand in passenger numbers and air traffic. As the airport continued to develop, additional lighting systems were installed in the lead-up to 1998. In 2000, the runway was further extended to 2,000 meters by 30 meters. In line with technological advancements, the VASI system was replaced with PAPI in 2005. On 1 January 2007, the management of Sultan Thaha Airport was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to Angkasa Pura II, which is now known as InJourney Airports. At this time, the airport began serving larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A320. Since its management by Angkasa Pura II, plans for further expansion were made, and the runway was extended to 2,220 m x 30 m. Sultan Thaha Airport will be the first World's Zoo Airport in 2015, integrated with the Taman Rimba Zoo which is only 900 meters from the new terminal. The airport will be set with animal nuances. Due to the access road to the airport takes a part of zoo land, the zoo will be 13 hectares only and according to Forestry Ministry Regulation, a zoo should be at least 15 hectares, and if less than the rule should be categorized as Taman Satwa (Animal Park). There are proposals to establish regular international flights at the airport. In the past, seasonal flights to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were operated to transport Hajj pilgrims. Facilities and development In 2012, the runway was expanded to 2,400 meters in length and 45 meters in width, which was further extended to 2,600 meters. This upgrade allowed the airport to accommodate larger aircraft, increasing its capacity from Boeing 737s to aircraft of similar size to the Boeing 757. Additionally, an Instrument Landing System (ILS) was set to be installed to improve landing precision, particularly in adverse weather conditions. On 12 December 2011, the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the terminal expansion took place, aiming to increase capacity to 1.6 million passengers per year. At the time, the terminal had a capacity of only 300,000 passengers per year, while actual passenger numbers had already reached 1 million. The expansion increased the terminal's size from 2,308 square meters to 13,015 square meters. The new terminal was officially inaugurated on 27 December 2015. It was equipped with two jet bridges and designed to accommodate up to 1.8 million passengers annually. The second phase of expansion was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 21 July 2016. This phase included a 10-centimeter runway overlay and an increase in terminal size to 35,000 square meters. Covering an area of 35,000 square meters, the terminal is complemented by a 26,500-square-meter parking area with a capacity for 436 cars and 415 motorcycles. The total cost of construction for the passenger terminal and parking facilities amounted to approximately Rp 126 billion. Additionally, Rp 110 billion was allocated for the apron expansion, 16 billion rupiah for the construction of the control tower and operations building, and Rp 67 billion for the development of basic infrastructure and other supporting facilities. Another expansion was completed in 2019, involving the enlargement of the passenger terminal and the addition of two more jet bridges, bringing the total to four. The terminal's capacity was increased to 2.6 million passengers per year to accommodate growing demand. The apron was also expanded from 38,000 to 46,500 square meters, allowing it to accommodate up to 13 aircraft. The total cost of expanding both airside and landside facilities was approximately 303 billion rupiah. Airlines and destinations Passenger Traffic and statistics Traffic Statistics Gallery Accidents and incidents On 27 August 2008, Sriwijaya Air Flight 62, a Boeing 737-200, overran the runway. Eleven people were injured, and although there were no initial fatalities, a farmer struck by the aircraft on the ground later died from his injuries. On April 11, 2025, Lion Air Flight 603, operating a Boeing 737-900ER, was unable to take off due to its wheel becoming stuck on the runway's asphalt. The cause of the incident was traced to a deformation in the runway's surface. Consequently, the airport was closed for two hours, leading to the diversion of all incoming flights. References External links Accident history for DJB at Aviation Safety Network