The Smell Of Political Amis In The Chaos Of Morowali's IMIP Airport

PT IMIP Airport (Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park). (Doc. IMIP)

JAKARTA The airport controversy belonging to PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) or IMIP Private Airport which is considered illegal and referred to as a closed airport is denied by aviation experts. The airport has the status of a special airport, and in Indonesia, similar airports are scattered in several other areas.

PT IMIP Morowali Airport, which has been operating since 2014, has suddenly gone viral on social media. In the news circulating, the airport in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi (Central Sulawesi) is illegal and unlicensed.

The existence of IMIP Airport is a national polemic because it is said to operate without the presence of official officers such as Customs and Immigration. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, during a visit to Morowali in November 2025, revealed that the airport did not have a supervisory post for the two state agencies.

He said the existence of IMIP Airport was an anomaly in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The Minister of Defense said that the condition of the airport could create vulnerability to sovereignty and economic stability.

IMIP Industrial Estate Becomes A Magnet Cuan Masyarakat Bahodopi. (Doc IMIP)

Sjafrie emphasized that the state will not stop taking action against illegal activities that harm national wealth. He also promised to convey his findings and evaluation results to President Prabowo Subianto.

This Republic should not have a republic within the republic. We must enforce all provisions without us seeing the background from wherever they came from," said Sjafrie.

In the midst of the hectic spotlight, official records show that IMIP Morowali Airport has actually been in the status of an international airport since August 2025. This determination is stated in the Decree of the Minister of Transportation Number KM 38 of 2025. In the regulation signed by the Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi on August 8, 2025, IMIP is one of three special airports that can serve direct flights to and from abroad under certain conditions and is temporary.

Two other special airports that received similar status were Sultan Syarief Haroen Setia Negara Special Airport in Riau and Weda Bay Special Airport in North Maluku. The three airports are required to meet safety and security standards, as well as provide immigration, customs and quarantine facilities when handling international flights.

However, it is never known whether there are immigration, customs, and quarantine facilities at these airports. Of course, IMIP airport has the status of an international airport for only two months, August-October. After being enlivened, his status is back to a special airport," said a VOI source who was not willing to be named.

Quoting Kompas, IMIP is a company managing the Morowali Industrial Estate which stands in an area of 2,000 hectares. There are at least more than 14 companies that mostly process ferronicles. Since its establishment in 2013, three companies have been listed as shareholders. They are Shanghai Decent Investment (Group), PT Sulawesi Mining Investment, and PT Bintang Eight Investment.

In the midst of a polemic about IMIP Airport which is suspected to be illegal, Deputy Minister of Transportation Suntana finally opened his voice. He said IMIP Airport already has a permit and is registered as a special airport at the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub).

Suntana also denied reports that no security officers from the state at IMIP Airport had caused no surveillance from the state.

On the Ministry of Transportation website, this airport has an official code. Based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the airport is coded WAMP, while the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) is coded MWS. The airport is managed privately under the responsibility of the Airport Authority Office Region V Makassar, South Sulawesi. Throughout 2024, IMIP Airport served 534 aircraft movements. The number of passengers was recorded at 51,180 people.

The IMIP Airport polemic, which is considered illegal and referred to as a closed airport, was dismissed by aviation expert Alvin Lie. He explained that the airport only has two categories, namely special airports and public airports. Legally, special airports are regulated in Law Number 1 of 2009 concerning flights. Meanwhile, airport services can be grouped into domestic and international routes.

"IMIP Airport in Morowali is categorized as a special airport serving only flights operated by airport owners and unscheduled flights. (The party) has an agreement with airport owners or managers as well as state aircraft," said Alvin.

He also emphasized that IMIP Airport has legal status, is certified, has obtained permits, and is supervised by the Ministry of Transportation.

"Without permission, there will be no flight approval. Airnav (Indonesian flight navigation service provider) will not allow take off/landing aircraft there. Insurance will not want cover the aircraft, crew, and passengers," said Alvin who is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Aviation Services Association.

Regarding the absence of immigration officers and customs and excise, according to Alvin, this is normal because IMIP Airport only serves domestic flights.

This is also experienced by other airports, such as Fatmawati Soekarno Airport in Bengkulu and Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung. As long as the special airport requirements are met and the permit applies, the presence of state officers is not mandatory. The Ministry of Transportation can inspect or audit at any time to supervise.

Public Policy Observer from Trisakti University Trubus Rahadiansyah agrees. Regarding airport problems, including Morowali IMIP Airport, it is the Ministry of Transportation's concern. Thus, Minister of Defense Sjafrie's statement that the airport is illegal and threatens the sovereignty is too far-fetched.

"This is beyond his (Menhan) authority, beyond his main duties and functions", Trubus said when contacted by VOI.

"IMIP Airport is actually the authority of the Ministry of Transportation, if they say it's legal, that's fine. What's not an interest is not to get involved," he added.

In this polemic, Trubus gave three points in the spotlight. First, he suspected, the statement by the Minister of Defense that said illegal IMIP Airport was one of the impacts of the revision of the TNI Law which had been passed into law on March 20, 2025 at the DPR RI Plenary Meeting. In the TNI Law, TNI soldiers are allowed to occupy civilian positions without having to resign or retire from active military synas.

Article 47 paragraph (1) of Law Number 3 of 2025 of the TNI Law reads, "Privates can hold positions in ministries/agencies in charge of coordinators of the country's politics and security, state defense including national defense councils, state secretariats that handle the affairs of the president's secretariat and the military secretariat of the president, state intelligence, cyber and/or state codes, national security institutions, national search and rescue (SAR), national narcotics, border managers, marine and fisheries, disaster management, counterterrorism, maritime security, the Attorney's Office of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Supreme Court. .

"This ministerial statement is more political, so that the TNI is given access to manage this airport. This could be the impact of the revision of the TNI Law, so he wants to get cakes from the airport," said Trubus.

Second, this polemic proves that there are overlapping rules, there are sectoral egos between ministries, and the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs should be resolved which is now occupied by Djamari Chaniago.

Third, the controversy between IMIP Airport creates questions in the minds of the public which actually have the potential to damage the image of President Prabowo Subianto's cabinet. "So each of them feels that they are the most correct. Every institution or ministry should coordinate, collaborate, and fill each other out," he concluded.