Kualanamu International Airport

Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) is the primary aviation gateway to northern Sumatra and the third-busiest international airport in Indonesia. Located in Beringin, Deli Serdang Regency, 23 km (14 mi) east of central Medan at just 23 ft (7 m) elevation, KNO opened in July 2013 to replace Polonia International Airport, whose 80-year-old inner-city runway had reached capacity and was surrounded by urban development. The single 12,303-ft (3,750-m) asphalt-and-concrete runway 05/23 supports fully loaded widebody aircraft, and an ultimate masterplan reserves land for a 3,750-m parallel strip. KNO serves 50 routes to 28 destinations on 17 airlines (2026), with Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, Super Air Jet and Wings Air anchoring domestic flows plus international services on AirAsia, Scoot, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Saudia and Turkish Airlines. Trunk routes connect Medan to Jakarta, Surabaya, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jeddah and Istanbul - Saudi-route traffic is particularly important given North Sumatra's large umrah and hajj markets, which drive seasonal surges in demand. The airport is operated by Angkasa Pura II in partnership with Indian group GMR under a long-term concession signed in 2021, one of Indonesia's first airport privatisations. KNO is also notable for being the first Indonesian airport with a dedicated rail link, and for its proximity to Lake Toba - the world's largest volcanic lake, now actively promoted by the government as a 'super-priority' tourist destination. Terminal capacity stands at 9 million annual passengers, with a second phase planned to raise this toward 20 million. The replaced Polonia Airport had operated from 1928 on what is now the heart of Medan's urban core; the inability to extend its runway meant larger widebodies could not operate at full weight, forcing the move. KNO also supports a substantial air-cargo terminal serving palm oil, fresh fish and agricultural exports from North Sumatra, and hosts basing operations for Wings Air ATR turboprops covering Sumatran regional points.