Sam Ratulangi International Airport

Minister of State of East Indonesia President Anak Anak Agung Gde Agung was greeted at Mapanget field in 1948

Sam Ratulangi Airport was originally built by the Japanese in 1942, with a runway length of 700 metres (2,300 feet) and width of 23 metres (75 feet); it was named Mapanget Airfield. When the Permesta (People's Movement) rebellion occurred, central government troops renamed this airport as Tugiman Airfield to commemorate Sergeant Major Tugiman, a soldier who died while fighting on Mapanget.

The airport was renamed to Mapanget Airfield because its existence at that time in Wanua Mapanget, Onderdistik Tatelu. Over time, there was a change in the mention of this airport into A. A. Maramis Airfield, as it was used as the name of the highway from the airport to Manado.

Finally, the airfield was renamed after Minahasan educator and revolutionary Sam Ratulangi.

In 1994, the airport was classified as class 1B, and the runway was extended to 2,650 metres (8,690 feet) long and 45 metres (148 feet) wide. With the expansion of this runway, the airport could accommodate larger aircraft types, like Airbus A300, Airbus A320, and DC-10.

As the government's efforts to develop the airport in 1990, Sam Ratulangi Airport is managed by PT. Angkasa Pura I (Persero) as a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE). With the aim to build the economy, providing low in expediting air transportation facilities. In an effort to anticipate the needs of air transport, so that made the development of Sam Ratulangi Airport Manado to build the airport facility development projects undertaken by Fasilitas Bandar Udara dan Keselamatan Penerbangan (FBUKP) and operated since end of 2000. The handover was taken operationally from DGCA to PT. Angkasa Pura I (Persero) on 18 December 2003.

Sam Ratulangi Airport in 2004

Passport entry (green) and exit stamps from the airport.

Source: North Sulawesi Government Office of Transportation, Communication, and Information Systems (in Indonesian)

• 16 February 1967 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 708, UPG-MDC, Lockheed L-188C Electra (PK-GLB), 22 of 84 passengers were killed (no fatalities among the eight crew members). Flight 708 departed Jakarta at 00:30 GMT on 15 February for a flight to Manado via Surabaya and Makassar. On the second leg of the flight, bad weather in Makassar forced the crew to return to Surabaya. The flight continued the next day to Makassar and on to Manado. The cloud base in Manado was 900 feet (270 metres) with 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) visibility. An approach to runway 18 was made, but after passing a hill 200 feet (61 metres) above runway elevation and 2,720 feet (830 metres) short of the threshold, the pilot realised he was too high and left of the centreline. The nose was lowered and the aircraft banked right to intercept the glide path. The speed decreased below the 125 knots (232 kilometres per hour; 144 miles per hour) target threshold speed and the aircraft, still banked to the right, landed heavily 156 feet (48 metres) short of the runway threshold. The undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft skidded and caught fire.[8]
• 1974 – Douglas C-47A PK-ZDF of was written off in an accident. Date is variously reported as 4 April 6 April or 4 June.[9]
• 7 January 1976 – Mandala Airlines, Vickers 806 Viscount (PK-RVK), no fatalities. Landing in slight intermittent rain, the aircraft touched down 520 metres (1,710 feet) down the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, crossed a ditch and three drains before coming to rest 180 metres (590 feet) past the end of the runway.[10]
• 10 December 1982 – Bouraq Indonesia Airlines, Hawker Siddeley HS-748 (PK-IHI), no fatalities. The nose landing gear collapsed on landing, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway.[11]
• 3 October 1986 – East Indonesia Air Taxi, MAL-MDC, Shorts SC.7 Skyvan (PK-ESC), all 10 passengers and 3 crew members were killed. Struck a mountain.[12]
• 9 May 1991 – Merpati Nusantara Airlines 7533, TTE-MDC, Fokker F-27 Friendship (PK-MFD), all eight passengers and five crew members were killed when the aircraft crashed into a mountain.[13]
• On 1 January 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 was nearing Sulawesi, coming to Manado Airport from Juanda International Airport. The pilots of the Boeing 737-400 flew off course when their navigation system failed, eventually entering a storm near the island where they became spatially disoriented. The flight spiraled downwards rapidly and broke up, leading to the death of all 102 people on board.

• Sam Ratulangi International Airport — official website
• NACO Airport Consultants: Preparation of master plans and implementation of the first development stages at Sam Ratulangi International airport (1994–2003)