Polonia International Airport

Polonia International Airport is located in the north of the island of Sumatra, about 2 km from the city center of Medan. It is the first international airport in the city. It serves local and international flights. In terms of passenger numbers, Polonia is the fourth largest airport in Indonesia.

The name of the airport comes from the Latin name of the homeland of the Polish baron who lived on these lands. In 1872 he received a concession from the Dutch East Indies to establish a tobacco plantation in Medan.

The first aircraft landed here in 1924, when Dutch test pilot Thomassen van der Hoop completed his groundbreaking flight from Holland. Thus, the first runway appeared in Medan, although it was not ready at the time. After this event, the East Indies administration decided to allocate the necessary funding to complete the airport. In 1928 it was officially opened.

The airport is located on an area of 144 hectares, however, the runway is 3000 m long and 45 m wide. Immediately outside of it are the richest residential buildings in the city. This is due to the superstition that the loud sounds of planes drive away evil spirits.

Until recently, the airport consisted of international and domestic terminals. A fire in the international hall in 2006 caused serious damage, which led to the reduction of the baggage claim department. In this regard, the airport is experiencing enormous loads, serving 7.5 million passengers per year.

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