Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Hasanuddin International Airport (WAAA) serves Makassar in South Sulawesi and shares its site with a major Indonesian Air Force base, making it the principal aviation gateway to eastern Indonesia. Its long paved runways and full ILS coverage make it a straightforward destination for simulator pilots flying long-haul domestic or regional international sectors into Sulawesi.
Hasanuddin International Airport lies on the border of Makassar and Maros Regency in South Sulawesi and is the principal air gateway to eastern Indonesia. It is a joint civil-military facility, hosting the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base alongside scheduled commercial traffic, and is a hub for several Indonesian carriers as well as a seasonal embarkation point for Hajj flights to Jeddah and Medina. For a simulator pilot it offers a large, well-equipped Southeast Asian airport with long instrument runways set against the backdrop of South Sulawesi.
The airport sits in Maros Regency, on the northern edge of Makassar, roughly 20 kilometres from the city centre. It is served by Ujung Pandang Approach, and pilots inbound or outbound should expect to work with this approach control unit as well as the tower on the frequencies listed below.
The airport has two physical runways. Runway 03/21 is 10,514 feet long with a hard surface, lit, and equipped with ILS on both approach directions. Runway 13/31 is 8,195 feet long, also hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS serving runway 13; runway 31 has no instrument approach. Field elevation is 39 feet.
Ujung Pandang Approach operates on 119.4 MHz. The tower callsign works on 118.1 MHz. ATIS information is broadcast on 126.25 MHz, and Ujung Information is available on 295.6 MHz. Both runway 03 and runway 21, plus runway 13, are supported by ILS approaches.
The airfield's origins go back to 1935, when the Dutch colonial government began construction of what was initially known as Kadieng Airfield, opening officially on 27 September 1937 with a KNILM Douglas DC-2 service to Singapore. At that time it had a single grass runway measuring 1,600 by 45 metres. The site's strategic value was recognised early: it helped the Japanese launch air operations against Java during the opening phase of the Pacific War, and Japanese forces occupied Makassar and the airfield in February 1942 after Dutch forces demolished it as part of a deliberate delaying defence. The Japanese subsequently rebuilt the airfield during their 1942-1945 occupation, upgrading the runway to concrete using forced labour that included Allied prisoners of war, some of whom were executed during the occupation. The site was renamed Mandai Airfield and suffered repeated Allied bombing raids, leaving the runway cratered by the war's end. Australian and Indian engineers repaired the damage and extended the runway to 1,745 by 45 metres using a workforce of around 4,000, including former Japanese prisoners of war. After the war the airfield passed to the returning Dutch authorities and served as a base for the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force until 1950, during which time it was also the venue for negotiations during the Makassar Uprising of April 1950 involving Indonesian and Dutch military and political figures.
Today the airport operates as a major international gateway, serving as a hub for Batik Air, Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air, a focus city for FlyJaya and Sriwijaya Air, and an operating base for Citilink, Super Air Jet and Wings Air. It remains a joint-use facility, sharing its runways with the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base, a Type-A installation housing several Indonesian Air Force squadrons flying types including the Boeing 737-200, CN 235-220, Sukhoi Su-27/Su-30 and Lockheed C-130H Hercules. The airport is also a key embarkation point for Hajj pilgrims from eastern Indonesia, with seasonal flights to Jeddah and Medina.