Jakarta's secondary gateway began as a rubber plantation owned by a Dutch settler

History · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before it became a vital military base and commercial hub, the land beneath Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport was a simple rubber estate. Today, this site balances the complex demands of Indonesian Air Force operations with civilian travel, serving as a critical, dual-purpose facility just 12 kilometers from Jakarta's city center.

Originally established around 1924 as Tjililitan Airfield, the site was carved out of a plantation once held by a Dutchman named Pieter van der Velde. By 1928, the airfield began operations under the Dutch airline KNILM, facilitating routes to Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya. Its strategic importance grew rapidly; in 1929, it gained international fame when a KLM flight completed a 14,500-kilometer journey from the Netherlands to Batavia in just 10 days. During the Pacific Theater of World War II, the base served as a critical defensive point, housing Martin B-10 bombers before being seized by Japanese forces in 1942.

Following the Indonesian National Revolution, the Netherlands returned control of the facility to the Indonesian government on June 20, 1950. Renamed in 1952 to honor Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma, a national hero and air force officer, the site evolved into a cornerstone of national security. It remains a Type A base for the Indonesian Air Force, hosting specialized squadrons like the 17th VIP Air Squadron and the 31st Heavy Transport Squadron. The base's history is marked by intense political shifts, including its role as a central hub during the 30 September Incident of 1965, after which the Army successfully secured the facility.

In the modern era, the airport has undergone significant transformations to manage Jakarta's growing aviation needs. A major 500 billion rupiah redevelopment in 2022 expanded its annual passenger capacity to 7-8 million, revitalizing infrastructure from the VVIP terminal to the drainage systems. Despite occasional friction between the Indonesian Air Force—which retains full ownership of the land—and commercial operators like Angkasa Pura, the airport remains a vital nexus. It now integrates with high-speed rail and light rail networks, bridging its colonial origins with the high-tech requirements of a modern capital city.

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