Getting to Nusantara
Getting to Nusantara may still require a bit of planning, but the journey is becoming smoother. Here’s how you can reach Nusantara today, and how it’s expected to change in the near future.
Reaching Indonesia’s future capital city Nusantara is becoming more accessible thanks to major infrastructure developments. The most prominent among them is the construction of the Nusantara International Airport (Bandar Udara Internasional Nusantara) and a series of toll roads connecting the capital to Balikpapan. While in the future, visitors will be able to fly directly to Nusantara, for now, traveling through Balikpapan remains the only viable option.
The Nusantara International Airport began construction on November 1, 2023 and is expected to open for commercial operations by late 2024. The airport spans 347 hectares and features a 3,000-meter runway along with a VVIP terminal of approximately 2,000 square meters and a VIP terminal of 5,000 square meters. Initially intended for state and official use only, the airport was granted the ICAO code WALK in late 2024, though it has not yet received an IATA code.
Former President Joko Widodo has since instructed that the airport should also serve commercial flights. When fully operational, the airport is expected to serve up to 7 million passengers annually, starting with around 200,000 per year in its initial phase. As of mid-2025, however, the airport is not yet open to commercial traffic and remains primarily a VVIP facility.
In the meantime, travelers looking to visit Nusantara must fly into Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (IATA: BPN) in Balikpapan, which is the nearest commercial airport. This airport serves both domestic and international flights and is currently the main entry point for those heading to Nusantara. The overland journey from Balikpapan to Nusantara spans around 60 kilometers, usually taking about two hours by car, depending on road conditions.
To ease this commute and support the growth of Nusantara, the government is also constructing a major toll road network linking Balikpapan and the new capital. This includes several sections, most notably Sections 6A, 6B, and 5B. Section 6B is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
Once open, this segment is expected to reduce travel time between Balikpapan and Nusantara to just 30 minutes. Section 6A is also under construction, though its completion may extend into 2026 due to funding and logistical challenges.
Currently, the journey to Nusantara involves a combination of air and road travel:
- First, fly into Balikpapan’s airport (BPN).
- Then, travel overland via existing roads or partially completed toll roads toward the government center in Nusantara.
- As of mid-2025, full access via the toll road is not yet available, though some sections may already be usable for reducing commute times.
In the near future, once the Nusantara International Airport is open to commercial flights and key toll road sections are completed, traveling to the new capital will be much faster and more convenient. These developments are critical to supporting the broader vision of Nusantara, which aims to become a smart, green capital and accommodate up to 2 million residents by 2045.
For now, while visiting Nusantara requires an extra step through Balikpapan, infrastructure progress is steady. The coming months are expected to mark a significant shift as both air and land access improve.
