Pematangsiantar Airport

The closure was a result of multiple factors, primarily economic obsolescence and military conversion. The airport's short runway and limited facilities were inadequate for modern commercial aircraft. Its strategic importance diminished with the improvement of road networks to the provincial capital, Medan, and the development of the larger Polonia International Airport (now Soewondo Air Force Base) in Medan. Ultimately, the land was officially transferred to the Indonesian Army for use as a military training complex, sealing its fate as a civilian airport.

The former airport site has been completely converted into a military complex. It is now the headquarters and training ground for the Indonesian Army's Main Regiment of the Regional Military Command I/Bukit Barisan (Rindam I/BB). The original runway and airport facilities have been either demolished or integrated into the layout of the military base, which includes barracks, training fields, and administrative buildings. The area is an active military installation and is not accessible to the public.

Established during the Dutch colonial era, the airfield was originally known as 'Lapangan Terbang Lalan'. It was crucial for the region's thriving plantation economy, facilitating the transport of company personnel, mail, and high-value goods for Dutch agricultural corporations. After Indonesia's independence, it served as a pioneer airport ('bandara perintis'), handling small aircraft for general aviation, charter flights, and government use. It provided an important air link between Pematangsiantar and other key locations in North Sumatra, particularly Medan, before the region's infrastructure was fully developed.

There are no active or viable plans to reopen Pematangsiantar Airport. The prospect is considered extremely low to non-existent for several key reasons:
1. **Military Occupation:** The site is a strategic and permanent military base (Rindam I/BB), and relocating it would be prohibitively expensive and complex.
2. **Proximity to Major Hubs:** The region is now well-served by two major airports: Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) near Medan and Silangit International Airport (DTB) near Lake Toba, which cater to both domestic and international traffic.
3. **Infrastructural Constraints:** The original site is now heavily encroached upon by urban development, leaving no room for the expansion required to build a modern runway and terminal compliant with current aviation safety standards.