The airport was built in the early 1940s during the
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in the
Pacific Theater of
World War II. To support their military operations, the occupying forces collaborated with employees of the Dutch tin mining company Billiton Maatschappij and local residents to construct an airfield in Buluh Tumbang. The facility was intended to enhance Japan’s strategic and logistical capabilities on Belitung Island during the occupation. Construction of the airstrip began in 1943, using the forced labor of local residents from Buluh Tumbang and nearby villages under the Japanese-imposed
romusha system. Despite the harsh conditions, this labor produced a basic but functional airstrip capable of accommodating Japanese aircraft. When the
Japanese surrendered in 1945, its troops withdrew from Belitung Island in August, leaving the airstrip in Buluh Tumbang behind without formally handing it over to any authority. On October 18, 1945, a Dutch
PBY Catalina amphibious aircraft landed in Belitung, bringing three Dutch nationals, former employees of Billiton Maatschappij, to resume the island’s tin mining operations. The reestablishment of Billiton Maatschappij on Belitung Island significantly influenced the development of the Buluh Tumbang Airstrip, transforming it into a crucial transportation hub, primarily serving Dutch interests. Over time, Billiton Maatschappij took control of the airstrip, while the Dutch airline
KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf set up a branch in Belitung, operating
Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The following year,
Garuda Indonesia launched the first international route from Tanjung Pandan to
Singapore using a
Bombardier CRJ-1000. In 2019,
AirAsia followed by opening a route to
Kuala Lumpur with an
Airbus A320. However, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, all international flights were suspended in 2020, and the airport was temporarily closed for several months to help contain the spread of the virus. As international flights failed to resume, the airport’s international status was revoked in April 2024, but it was reinstated in 2025. In 2019, management of the airport was transferred from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to Angkasa Pura II, which has since been rebranded as
InJourney Airports. == Facilities and development ==