World War II Adisutjipto Airport traces its origins to a landing ground at Maguwo, constructed by the
Dutch East Indies colonial government in 1940 as a military airbase for the
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL). With the outbreak of
World War II and the onset of the
Pacific War, Maguwo Airfield became the home base of
Verkenningsafdeling 2 (2nd Cooperation Squadron) of the ML-KNIL. The unit operated 11
Curtiss-Wright CW-22 aircraft and 2
Fokker C.X aircraft, and was placed under the control of ML-KNIL headquarters to carry out battlefield aerial reconnaissance missions. Japanese forces launched their
invasion of the Dutch East Indies in January 1942 and had landed on
Java by the end of the following month. Amid the Japanese advance, Maguwo Airfield became the last remaining operational airfield in Java available to Allied forces. At the time, a small number of
United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft from the
Fifth Air Force were stationed at Maguwo Airfield. By early March, as Japanese forces advanced to within 20 miles of the airfield, the aircraft were withdrawn to
Broome,
Australia. The remaining airmen subsequently evacuated, effectively abandoning the facility. Meanwhile, Dutch soldiers sabotaged the runway to prevent it from being captured in operational condition, before proceeding to destroy remaining ammunition. The Japanese soon captured the airfield intact and promptly restored it for their own use, employing captured
Allied prisoners of war to repair bomb craters and damaged buildings. During the
Japanese occupation, the airfield was operated by the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. Throughout the war, the Japanese constructed various fortifications around the site, including underground bunkers, some of which remain to this day. By 1945, the airfield had become the base of the Navy's 31st Air Group, which operated around eighty
Yokosuka K5Y biplanes used to train pilots for
kamikaze missions against Allied forces.
Indonesian National Revolution biplanes in the background, 19 December 1948 at Maguwo Airfield following his return from exile, 16 June 1949 Following the
surrender of Japan in August 1945, Japanese troops at the airfield laid down their arms to the
British Army. Despite this, they were permitted to continue guarding Maguwo Airfield under the supervision of a British non-commissioned officer. On 2 October 1945, Indonesian militias
launched an attack on the airfield, prompting the Japanese to surrender and hand over their equipment, largely intact, to the local forces. At that time, Maguwo Airfield possessed around 70 ex-Japanese aircraft. In the second week of October 1945, following the capture of the airbase, initial efforts focused on regrouping Indonesian aviation personnel. On 15 November 1945, a flight school was established at the airfield, with Agustinus Adisutjipto serving as its principal. This institution later became the precursor to the present-day
Indonesian Air Force Academy. The Dutch, recognizing the strategic importance of the airfield, repeatedly targeted it throughout the conflict. When the Dutch launched
Operation Product in July 1947, they destroyed most of the former Japanese aircraft at Maguwo Airfield, leaving only a few intact and severely weakening the Indonesian Air Force. On 29 July 1947, two Dutch
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks shot down a
Douglas C-47 Skytrain that was approaching Maguwo Airfield while carrying medical supplies from
Malaya. Among those on board were several Indonesian figures, including Agustinus Adisutjipto and the prominent aviator
Abdul Rahman Saleh; only one person survived. Shortly afterward, Dutch paratroopers from the
Korps Speciale Troepen landed at the airfield, which was defended by just 47 lightly armed Indonesian Air Force cadets with no anti-aircraft weapons. With the exception of a brief period on 1 March 1949, when Republican militias temporarily recaptured the airfield during the
General Offensive of 1 March 1949, the Dutch retained control of the airfield until the signing of the
Roem–Van Roijen Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, they withdrew from Yogyakarta, after which the airfield was handed over to Indonesian authorities.
Independence era Boeing 737-400 at Adisutjipto Airport, 2008 Following the end of the war, the airfield remained under the control of the Indonesian Air Force. On 17 August 1952, Maguwo Airfield was renamed to its present name in honor of Agustinus Adisutjipto, who played a key role in the establishment of the Indonesian Air Force and made significant contributions during the Indonesian National Revolution. Since 1959, Adisutjipto Airport has been used by the Indonesian Air Force Academy (AAU). In 1964, following a decision by the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation and with the approval of the Indonesian Air Force, the airport was designated as a joint civil–military facility. In 1972, the first expansion of the civil passenger terminal was undertaken, followed by a further expansion in 1977 to accommodate the growing volume of air traffic. On 1 April 1992, management of the airport was transferred to Angkasa Pura I, which was later rebranded as
InJourney Airports. This milestone represented the culmination of more than three decades of efforts by the city to obtain international airport status. In 2020, all international flight operations were transferred to
Yogyakarta International Airport as part of the broader aviation restructuring in the region. Subsequently, in April 2024, the
Ministry of Transportation officially revoked Adisutjipto Airport’s international status, leaving it to serve primarily domestic and limited aviation functions thereafter. The airport was heavily damaged by the
2006 Yogyakarta earthquake and had to be closed for two days. Some parts of the runway were cracked, and the departure lounge collapsed. Most flights were canceled or rerouted to
Adisoemarmo International Airport,
Surakarta. After the airport returned to service on 30 May 2006, all passengers used the international lounge until the new domestic departure lounge was ready. == Facilities and development ==