View source for Soewondo Air Force Base

{{Short description|Military airport of Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox airport
| name                      = Soewondo Air Force Base
| nativename                = {{small|{{lang|id|Pangkalan Udara Soewondo}}}}
| image                     = Polonia_intl_departure.jpg
| image-width               = 250
| IATA                      = MES
| ICAO                      = WIMK
| pushpin_map               = Indonesia_Medan#Indonesia_Sumatra North#Indonesia_Sumatra#Indonesia
| pushpin_mapsize           =
| pushpin_mark              = Airplane_silhouette.svg
| pushpin_label             = MES
| coordinates               = {{coord|03|33|29|N|98|40|18|E|region:ID|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map_caption       = Location of airport in [[Medan]], Northern Sumatra, [[Sumatra]] and [[Indonesia]]
| type                      = Military
| owner                     = [[Government of Indonesia]]
| opened                    = {{start date|1928|||df=yes}}
| passenger_services_ceased = {{end date|2013|07|25|df=yes}}
| operator                  = [[Angkasa Pura II]]
| city-served               = [[Medan]]
| location                  = [[Medan]], [[North Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]]
| elevation-f               = 114
| elevation-m               = 35
| website                   = {{URL|www.poloniaairport.com}}
| r1-number                 = 05/23
| r1-length-f               = 9843
| r1-length-m               = 3000
| r1-surface                = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| metric-rwy                = yes
| stat1-header              = Passengers
| stat1-data                = 7,890,796
| stat2-header              = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data                = 65,966
| stat3-header              = Cargo
| stat3-data                = 38,813,435
| stat-year                 = 2012
| footnotes                 = Source: [[DAFIF]]<ref name=WAD>{{cite web|url-status=usurped|url=http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?airport=WIMM|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305143444/http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?airport=WIMM|archive-date=2019-03-05|title=Airport information for WIMM|website=World Aero Data}} Data current as of October 2006. Source: [[DAFIF]].</ref><ref name=GCM>{{GCM|MES|source=[[DAFIF]]}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Polonia
L Air Force Base
| image = [[File:Logo LANUD.png|200px]]
| caption = Air Force Base Emblem
| start_date = 
| country = {{flagicon|Indonesia}} [[Indonesia]]
| allegiance = 
| branch = [[File:Insignia of the Indonesian Air Force.svg|25px]] [[TNI Angkatan Udara]]
| type = [[Air Force Base]] Tipe '''A'''
| role = Air Force Base
| size = 
| command_structure = [[Air Command Operation I]]
| garrison = [[Medan]]
| garrison_label = [[Air Force Base]]
| nickname =
| patron = [[Indonesian Air Force]]
| motto = ''Prayatna Kerta Gegana''
| colors =
| colors_label = [[Baret]]
| march =
| mascot =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles =
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
| flying_hours =
| website = [http://www.tni-au.mil.id www.tni-au.mil.id]
}}

'''Soewondo Air Force Base''' {{airport codes|MES|WIMK}} is a military airbase in [[Medan]], [[North Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]].  Before 2013, this airport served commercial flights, and was known as '''Polonia International Airport''' ({{lang|id|Bandar Udara Internasional Polonia}}) which was the principal airport serving [[Medan]], about {{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the downtown; it used to serve flights to several [[Indonesia]]n and [[Malaysia]]n cities, along with a flight to [[Singapore]] and [[Thailand]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=MES2|title=Medan-Soewondo Air Force Base profile – Aviation Safety Network|last=Ranter|first=Harro|website=aviation-safety.net|access-date=2016-12-28}}</ref> Previous international flights had been opened to [[Hong Kong]], [[Taipei]], [[Amsterdam]], [[Abu Dhabi]], [[Phuket]], [[Chennai]], [[Johor Bahru]], [[Malacca]] and [[Ipoh]].

At the end of its service as civil airport, Polonia was the fourth largest airport in Indonesia after [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport|Soekarno–Hatta]], [[Juanda International Airport|Juanda]], and [[I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport|I Gusti Ngurah Rai]], in terms of passenger numbers.<ref name="bps">Biro Pusat Statistik, "[http://www.bps.go.id/releases/files/pariwisata-01sep06.pdf Perkembangan Pariwisata dan Transportasi Nasional Bulan Juli 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124183249/http://www.bps.go.id/releases/files/pariwisata-01sep06.pdf |date=24 November 2007 }}" No. 45/IX/1 September 2006</ref> Passenger service charges for each passenger departing through the domestic terminal was IDR 35,000 ($4.1) and IDR 75,000 ($8.8) for the international terminal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://waspada.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=196989:polonia-finishes-access-road-improvement&catid=30:english-news&Itemid=101|title=Polonia finishes access road improvement|author=Ridin|translator-last=Bangun|translator-first=Ananta Politan|work=Waspada Online|date=31 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902002017/http://waspada.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=196989:polonia-finishes-access-road-improvement&catid=30:english-news&Itemid=101|archive-date=2 September 2011}}</ref>

All flights and services from this airport shifted to [[Kualanamu International Airport]] on 25 July 2013. Following the airport's opening, Polonia's ICAO code was changed from WIMM to WIMK, since WIMM is assigned for [[Kuala Namu]].<ref name="move">{{cite web | title = Kuala Namu International Airport to operate July 25 | url = http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2013/07/17/056497300/Kuala-Namu-International-Airport-to-Operate-July-25 | date = 17 July 2013 }}</ref>

Following the end of passenger services, the Polonia International Airport became the Soewondo Air Force Base, the [[airport]] belongs to the [[Indonesian Air Force]]. It hosts the Western Surveillance Wing including eight [[CN-235]] tactical surveillance airplanes.<ref>[http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/24/polonia-host-surveillance-wing.html The Jakarta Post, 24 July 2013]</ref>

The terminal building is planned to be demolished from 2025.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

==History==
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Het huis van de bij de tabaksonderneming Polonia werkzame planter Michalsky langs de Deli-rivier TMnr 60011102.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Michalski's house in the 1870s]]

The airport's former name is taken from the plantation area owned by a [[Polish people|Pole]], Baron Ludwik Michalski in which it is situated. Polonia originates from the [[Latin]] name of the country of [[Poland]]. Michalski was a veteran of 1863 [[January Uprising]] against the [[Imperial Russia]]n rule, after which he fled to Switzerland. In 1872, Michalski obtained a concession from the [[Dutch East Indies]] administration for a tobacco plantation in [[Medan]]. He named the plantation after the country of his birth, which [[History of Poland (1795-1918)|at that time]] was not an independent state.

In 1879 the concession was handed over to ''Deli Maatschappij'' (Deli MIJ) or ''NV Deli Maskapai''. In 1924, Dutch KLM test pilot N. J. Thomassen à Thuessink van der Hoop planned to fly on a [[Fokker F.VII]] in a pioneering flight from the Netherlands.<ref name="dav">Paul van Weezepoel, "[http://www.dutch-aviation.nl/index3/1919-1939/index3-1924.html Dutch Aviation History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514124637/http://www.dutch-aviation.nl/index3/1919-1939/index3-1924.html |date=14 May 2021 }}". Retrieved on 2008-07-06</ref> Therefore, Deli MIJ who controlled that piece of land handed it over for the land to become the first airstrip in Medan.

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Het ontvangstcomité meldt zich bij het vliegtuig na aankomst van de eerste commerciële vlucht Holland-Batavia op de paardenrenbaan in Medan TMnr 60046353.jpg|right|thumb|First landing on a horse-racing track in Medan]]
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Het vliegtuig Oehoe te Medan Noord-Sumatra TMnr 10010597.jpg|right|thumb|[[Fokker F.VII]] take-off from MES in 1940]]
By the time the news had arrived, it was too late to prepare a proper landing strip at Polonia. As a result, van der Hoop, together with [[Lieutenant H van Weerden Poelman]] of the Army Aviation Department and [[KLM]] flight engineer [[P. A. van den Broeke]] landed on a horse-racing track called Deli Renvereeniging and were greeted by the Sultan of [[Deli (sultanate)|Deli]], [[Sulaiman Syaiful Alamsyah]].

After this first landing, the Assistant Resident of Eastern Sumatra [[C.S. Van Kempen]] urged the [[Netherlands East Indies]] administration in [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] to allocate the necessary funding to finish the airport at Polonia. In 1928 the airport was officially opened which was marked with the landing of six aircraft owned by [[KNILM]], (''not'' a subsidiary of KLM) on a temporary hardened dirt runway. From 1930, KLM and KNILM started expanding its network to Medan. It was only in 1936 that the airport's 600-metre permanent runway was finished.

In 1975, according to a joint decree issued by the Department of Defence and Security, Department of Transportation, and Department of Finance, the airport was jointly managed between the [[Indonesian Air Force]] and the Civil Aviation. From 1985, according to the Government Regulation No. 30-year 1975, the management became the responsibility of [[Angkasa Pura|Perum Angkasa Pura]] which subsequently became PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero) after 1 January 1994.

Polonia Airport became closed to commercial aviation and was replaced by [[Kualanamu International Airport]].

The airport's last arrival on 24 July 2013 was [[AirAsia]] from Bandung at 23:50 [[Western Indonesian Time|WIB]]. The airport was closed right after the last landing. The last activities in the airport were the [[ferry flying|ferry flights]] after official closing ceremony at 00:00 [[Western Indonesian Time|WIB]] and the cease of transportation at 00:30 [[Western Indonesian Time|WIB]]. The first ferry flight, a [[Garuda Indonesia]] aircraft, received a [[water salute]] before taking off from Polonia Airport and after landing at Kualanamu Airport. It carried the [[Ministry of State Owned Enterprises (Indonesia)|Minister of&nbsp;State-owned Enterprise]] [[Dahlan Iskan]] along with the [[Ministry of Transportation (Indonesia)|Deputy Minister of Transportation]] and other officials.

After the ferry flights were completed, all of the Polonia Airport's activity officially shifted to [[Kualanamu International Airport]]. Polonia Airport became used as an air force base.

==Facilities==
[[File:Medan airport map.jpg|right|thumb|Polonia International Airport map]]

The airport is located on 144 hectares land area. There is a single asphalt [[runway]] (05/23) which is 3000 m long and 45 m wide, but has only 2,900 m of usable length. There is no run-off space beyond the runway thresholds, and the airfield is surrounded by residential areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airliners.net/open.file/456978/M/|title=Photo of final approach to runway 05 Medan|access-date=2007-12-24|author=M Radzi Desa|date=12 November 2003|publisher=Airliners.net|page=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930122346/http://www.airliners.net/open.file/456978/M/|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> It is often said that its location in a residential district, the wealthy Polonia area, is due to a superstition that the loud noises from aircraft drive away malevolent spirits.

Until recently, the airport consisted of an international and domestic terminal. A fire in the international arrivals area in 2006 caused damage to the airport, reducing the baggage reclaim area to a small section inside the terminal. On 2 December 2007, the domestic terminal was damaged by another fire.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/02/travel/03sumatra.php |title=Fire destroys terminal at Indonesian airport |publisher=International Herald Tribune |access-date=2007-12-23 |agency=[[Reuters]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208200506/http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/02/travel/03sumatra.php |archive-date=8 February 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> There were no injuries, and the separate international terminal was not affected.

The airport suffered from overcrowding, serving 7.5 million passengers annually in facilities designed to handle only 900,000 passengers. The other problems were no orderly parking space for taxis, too many porters and garbage control.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://waspada.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=192645:analyst-polonia-must-tackle-management-issue&catid=30:english-news&Itemid=101|title=Analyst: Polonia must tackle management issue|last=Sis|first=Rany Listyawati|translator-last=Bangun|translator-first=Ananta Politan|work=Waspada Online|date=9 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902000933/http://waspada.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=192645:analyst-polonia-must-tackle-management-issue&catid=30:english-news&Itemid=101|archive-date=2 September 2011}}</ref> These problems should be resolved by the construction of [[Kualanamu International Airport]]. Construction commenced 29 June 2006. It became Indonesia's 2nd-largest airport after [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport]] and commenced operations on 25 July 2013.

Once, there was a dilemma of whether or not to upgrade Polonia International Airport, due to the delay of the finishing of the new [[Kualanamu International Airport]]. This dilemma made PT Angkasa Pura II pledge to fix access roads between Mustang Street and Imam Bonjol Street.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://waspada.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=195526:ap-ii-promises-to-fix-polonia-access-roads&catid=30:english-news&Itemid=101|title=AP II promises to fix Polonia access roads|author=Ridin|translator-last=Bangun|translator-first=Ananta Politan|work=Waspada Online|date=24 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902001731/http://waspada.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=195526:ap-ii-promises-to-fix-polonia-access-roads&catid=30:english-news&Itemid=101|archive-date=2 September 2011}}</ref>

==Traffics and statistics==
{{Bar chart
| title = '''Overall operational statistics'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hubud.dephub.go.id/?id+statistik+detail+angudbulan |title=Polonia International Airport |access-date=2012-12-30 |archive-date=10 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610231253/http://hubud.dephub.go.id/?id+statistik+detail+angudbulan |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.angkasapura2.co.id/commercial/?CdAirport=MES|title=Polonia International Airport|access-date=2012-12-30|archive-date=1 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101035241/http://www.angkasapura2.co.id/commercial/?CdAirport=MES|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sumut.bps.go.id |title=Polonia International Airport |access-date=2013-02-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dephub.go.id/files/media/statistik/statistik2009.pdf |title=2009 Statistics |access-date=2013-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513024156/http://www.dephub.go.id/files/media/statistik/statistik2009.pdf |archive-date=13 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| bar_width = 18
| width_units = em
| label_type =Year
| label1 = 2000
| label2 = 2001
| label3 = 2002
| label4 = 2003
| label5 = 2004
| label6 = 2005
| label7 = 2006
| label8 = 2007
| label9 = 2008
| label10 = 2009
| label11 = 2010
| label12 = 2011
| label13 = 2012
| data_type = Passenger movements
| data_max = 7890796
| data1 = 1,158,382
| data2 = 1,510,489
| data3 = 2,090,518
| data4 = 2,736,332
| data5 = 3,693,290
| data6 = 4,033,073
| data7 = 4,597,268
| data8 = 5,456,558
| data9 = 4,816,852
| data10 = 4,913,735
| data11 = 6,238,977
| data12 = 7,170,107
| data13 = 7,890,796
| col2_data_type = Aircraft movements
| col2_data_max = 67966
| col2_data1 = 20,632
| col2_data2 = 23,300
| col2_data3 = 29,894
| col2_data4 = 36,359
| col2_data5 = 43,865
| col2_data6 = 55,218
| col2_data7 = 50,512
| col2_data8 = 54,238
| col2_data9 = 52,737
| col2_data10 = 50,303
| col2_data11 = 58,438
| col2_data12 = 61,755
| col2_data13 = 67,966
| col3_data_type = Freight movements
| col3_data_max = 58813
| col3_data1 = 18,881
| col3_data2 = 21,809
| col3_data3 = 23,969
| col3_data4 = 24,067
| col3_data5 = 29,320
| col3_data6 = 32,125
| col3_data7 = 32,780
| col3_data8 = 50,580
| col3_data9 = 48,843
| col3_data10 = 49,272
| col3_data11 = 35,709
| col3_data12 = 47,254
| col3_data13 = 58,813
}}

{{Div col}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:89%; align=center;"
|+ Busiest domestic flights out of Polonia International Airport by frequency
|- style="background:darkgrey;"
!Rank|| |Destinations|| |Frequency (weekly)
|-
|1
|[[File:Jakarta COA.svg|20px]] Jakarta
|290
|-
|2
|[[File:Coat of arms of Riau Islands.svg|20px]] Batam
|63
|-
|3
|[[File:Coat of arms of Aceh.svg|20px]] Banda Aceh
|42
|-
|4
|[[File:Riau COA.svg|20px]] Pekanbaru
|42
|-
|5
|[[File:West Java coa.svg|20px]] Bandung
|32
|-
|6
|[[File:Coat of arms of North Sumatra.svg|20px]] Gunung Sitoli
|28
|-
|7
|[[File:Coat of arms of West Sumatra.svg|20px]] Padang
|21
|-
|7
|[[File:South Sumatra coa.png|20px]] Palembang
|21
|-
|8
|[[File:Coat of arms of Aceh.svg|20px]] Meulaboh
|17
|-
|9
|[[File:Coat of arms of East Java.svg|20px]] Surabaya
|14
|-
|9
|[[File:Coat of arms of North Sumatra.svg|20px]] Padang Sidempuan
|14
|-
|9
|[[File:Coat of arms of Aceh.svg|20px]] Sinabang
|14
|-
|10
|[[File:Coat of arms of North Sumatra.svg|20px]] Sibolga
|7
|-
|10
|[[File:Coat of arms of North Sumatra.svg|20px]] Tarutung
|7
|-
|11
|[[File:Coat of arms of Aceh.svg|20px]] Lhokseumawe
|3
|-
|12
|[[File:Coat of arms of Aceh.svg|20px]] Singkil
|2
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:89%; align=center;"
|+ Busiest international flights out of Polonia International Airport by frequency
|- style="background:darkgrey;"
!Rank|| |Destinations|| |Frequency (weekly)
|-
|1
|{{flagicon|Malaysia}} Penang
|99
|-
|2
|{{flagicon|Malaysia}} Kuala Lumpur
|74
|-
|3
|{{flagicon|Singapore}} Singapore
|42
|-
|4
|{{flagicon|Thailand}} Bangkok
|7
|-
|5
|{{flagicon|Malaysia}} Johor Bahru
|3
|-
|6
|{{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} Colombo
|2
|}
{{Div col end}}

==Accidents and incidents==
*On 11 July 1979, a [[1979 Garuda Fokker F28 crash|Fokker F28 of Garuda Indonesia Airways]] crashed into [[Sibayak|Mount Sibayak]] while on approach to Medan-Polonia airport. All 61 passengers and crew on board were killed.<ref name=ASN19790711>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790711-0 |title=Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=3 August 2010}}</ref>
*On 4 April 1987, [[Garuda Indonesia Flight 035]], crashed into power lines and a television aerial in bad weather as it attempted landing at Medan-Polonia. 22 of the 45 passengers and crew on board were killed.
*On 18 June 1988, [[Vickers Viscount]] PK-MVG of [[Merpati Nusantara Airlines]] was damaged beyond economic repair when it suffered a hydraulic system failure and departed the runway.<ref name=ASN180688>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880618-0 |title=Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=8 October 2009}}</ref>
*On 26 September 1997, [[Garuda Indonesia Flight 152]], an [[Airbus A300]], crashed into woodlands 18 miles short of Medan-Polonia airport. All 234 passengers and crew on board were killed. Flight 152 is the worst aviation disaster in Indonesia history.
*On 5 September 2005, [[Mandala Airlines Flight 091]], crashed shortly after takeoff from Polonia. Of the 120 passengers and crew on board, 100 were killed. Another 49 people on the ground died as a result of the crash. It is the deadliest aviation accident involving the Boeing 737-200 series.
*On 30 June 2015, an [[2015 Indonesia Hercules C-130 crash|Indonesian Air Force Hercules C-130 crashed]] shortly after takeoff, killing all 121 on board and 22 people on the ground in one of Indonesia's worst [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules]] crashes.

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
*[[List of airports in Indonesia]]
*[[Kuala Namu International Airport]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{NWS-current|WIMM}}
* {{ASN|MES}}
{{Airports in Indonesia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct airports in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Airports in Medan]]
[[Category:Indonesian Air Force bases]]
[[Category:1928 establishments in the Dutch East Indies]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1928]]