AirNav and Boeing launch Bali Ngurah Rai capacity modeling study
AirNav Indonesia and Boeing have agreed a one-year study to digitally model aircraft movements at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 3 min read
Jakarta — AirNav Indonesia and Boeing have signed a Letter of Intent to study ways to increase aircraft movement capacity and ease congestion at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, potentially lifting managed movements toward 40 per hour, according to statements by the two companies and Indonesian media reports.
The agreement was signed by AirNav Indonesia President Director Capt. Avirianto Suratno and Boeing Indonesia Managing Director Indra Duivenvoorde at the Sheraton Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport Hotel in Tangerang on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. The study builds on a 2023 Memorandum of Understanding between AirNav and Boeing covering airspace management, technical training and strategic air traffic planning.
Avirianto said AirNav currently manages around 33 aircraft movements per hour at Ngurah Rai and is targeting an increase to 34–40 movements per hour, supported by improved use of the single runway and surrounding airspace. He said the collaboration is aimed at reducing ground congestion and improving punctuality while maintaining safety standards.
Focus on a constrained airfield
Ngurah Rai handles heavy traffic but does not have parallel taxiways, a constraint that can create bottlenecks when arriving and departing aircraft share the same movement areas. According to AirNav, this infrastructure limitation is a key reason for seeking Boeing’s support to optimize management of both ground operations and airspace around the airport.
The planned study will analyze aircraft sequencing, taxi and ground movements, use of taxiways and parking stands, and coordination between ground and airspace operations. Different aircraft types, including narrow-body and wide-body jets, will be factored into the modeling because they require different handling times and operating procedures.
Media reports citing AirNav officials state that the first phase involves building a baseline 24‑hour operational model representing typical conditions at Ngurah Rai. The baseline will then be validated using AirNav’s operational data before alternative operating concepts are tested.
Digital modeling before any changes
AirNav and Boeing plan to use Boeing’s Total Airspace and Airport Modeller (TAAM) software alongside AirNav’s own visualization tools to simulate current and proposed procedures. The partners say this approach will allow potential changes to be evaluated without disrupting live flight operations at Bali’s main international gateway.
According to reports summarizing AirNav’s briefing, Boeing is expected to help design and test multiple scenarios for aircraft movements, each modeled under different traffic flows and demand levels. Trial operations and simulations are planned through early 2027, with study results to be used as the basis for recommendations to improve aircraft movement operations.
Indicators to be assessed include movement capacity, taxi and turnaround times, fuel burn and associated emissions, as well as on-time performance. The study’s objective, Boeing’s Duivenvoorde said, is to combine Boeing’s expertise in aircraft performance and air traffic management with AirNav’s experience controlling Indonesia’s airspace to deliver safer, more efficient and more sustainable traffic flows in Bali.
AirNav and Boeing stress that no final decision has yet been taken on increasing Ngurah Rai’s declared capacity or implementing specific procedural changes. Any move toward a ceiling of up to 40 movements per hour will depend on the outcome of the modeling, operational trials and regulatory approvals.
Sources
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