From TRK airport in Taraken to city center

TRK Airport overview

Juwata Airport (IATA: TRK, ICAO: WAQQ) is a domestic airport serving Tarakan, the largest city in North Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the island of Tarakan off the coast of Borneo, the airport lies approximately 3.5 km from the city center and is the largest and busiest airport in North Kalimantan. It currently operates only domestic flights to major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta, Balikpapan, and Surabaya, as well as serving rural destinations in Kalimantan's interior. The airport's proximity to the tripoint border of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines makes it a strategically important location for development as a regional hub. The airport previously offered international flights to Tawau in Sabah, Malaysia and Zamboanga in the Philippines, but all international routes were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the prolonged absence of international services, its international airport status was officially revoked in 2024. The airport shares its area and runway with Suharnoko Harbani Air Force Base, a Type A airbase of the Indonesian Air Force. Established in 2006, the airbase was part of a broader strategy to enhance national defense against emerging threats and to support the operational needs of the 2nd Air Operations Command in Makassar. Prior to its establishment, the airbase was just an Air Force post operated under the jurisdiction of Balikpapan Air Force Base. However, rising tensions with Malaysia over the Ambalat area prompted the Air Force leadership to establish a dedicated base in Tarakan. As the airport is used for both military and civilian purposes, the apron is shared by both sectors. In 2014, a 183-meter taxiway was constructed to connect the civilian facilities to the military apron, which is capable of accommodating up to four Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft simultaneously.

Airport details