New Airport in Medan
Last updated: November 20, 2013
Medan’s new Kuala Namu International Airport opens on 25 July 2013.
It will replace the overcrowded Polonia Airport (MES), which will close on the same date.
The Bare Essentials | To/From The New Airport | To/From Medan | Other Tips
The Bare Essentials
| Opening date: 25 July 2013 Airport code: KNO Location: 31km North-East |
Airport Bus: Yes Airport Train: Yes – more information Toll road: Under construction |
Travelling To/From The New Medan Airport
View Going to/from Medan in a larger map
Left to Right: Pinang Baris Bus Terminal, Medan City Fair Airport Bus Terminal, Medan Train Station, the old Polonia Airport, Amplas Bus Terminal, the new Kuala Namu Airport
Medan Airport is located in Deli Serdang Regency, north-east of the city.
Full details of public transport options to/from Kuala Namu are still to be confirmed, but it will be the first Indonesian airport with a rail link. There will also be airport buses; two likely destinations are the city’s main inter-city bus terminals: Pinang Baris in the west (destinations: Aceh, Bukit Lawang, Berastagi) and Amplas in the south (Lake Toba, Sibolga, Bukittinggi).
A toll road connecting the new airport to Medan and Tebing Tinggi is still under construction, and is due to be finished in late 2014. In the meantime, it is 31km to the airport from Central Medan, measured from the City Hall (near Medan Train Station). Google Maps estimates the journey to be 53 minutes. A taxi ride would be around Rp100 000 ($US10, € 8, £7). Fares from the airport are unconfirmed; it is likely that there will still be a pre-paid fixed price voucher system – not taxi meters – similar to those currently operating at Polonia Airport and Bali Airport.
UPDATE – November 2013
We have more information and a review of Railink – the name of the train between Medan and its Airport – here.
Travelling to/from Medan
| Destination City | Flights/Week |
| 1. Jakarta | 290 |
| 2. Penang (Georgetown) | 99 |
| 3. Kuala Lumpur | 74 |
| 4. Batam | 63 |
| =5. Banda Aceh | 42 |
| =5. Singapore | 42 |
| 7. Pekanbaru | 35 |
| 8. Bandung | 32 |
| 9. Nias (Gunung Sitoli) | 28 |
| 10. Padang | 21 |
Medan is the busiest airport in Sumatra, with almost 8 million passengers in 2012. It is often a transit point for visitors than a tourist destination itself, many either just stay one night continue their journey directly to more well-known attractions with smaller airports or no airport at all. By plane, these include e.g. diving hotspot Pulau Weh near Banda Aceh, famous surfing breaks in Nias and Mentawai Islands near Padang. Places acessible from Medan by bus are listed in the previous section.
Other Hints And Tips
Based on the previous experience of the new Lombok International Airport opened in 2011, here is some further advice:
- Indonesian airline booking systems are often slow to change.
Airlines might still use MES (Polonia) as the airport code after 25 July 2013, even though the flight is arriving at/departing from KNO (Kuala Namu). Airlines only changed the airport code on their website months after Lombok International Airport opened. - It is recommended you arrive before the minimum check-in time.
With the greater distance to travel and the potential for computer system breakdowns that come with a new airport, it is a good idea to allow additional time. - It is recommended passengers reconfirm their flight a few days before.
There may be some minor schedule adjustments, due to the different location making flights slightly longer/shorter. It is now possible to do this online with almost all of the larger airlines; here is a guide. For the one exception – Sriwijaya Air – departure times by using the online booking system, i.e. check the price for 1 ticket on the same flight that you’re on. Please note: it cannot be checked this way less than 3 days before departure, when tickets cannot be booked online. 
Airport Tax may change.
Currently it is Rp35 000 ($US3.50, € 2,50, £2.25) per person for domestic flights, and Rp75 000 ($US7.50, € 6, £5.50) per person for international flights. Airport Tax in Lombok didn’t increase, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t in Medan. If there is an increase, it cannot be more than airport tax in Jakarta: Rp40 000 for domestic, Rp150 000 for international.
As further information becomes available, this post will be updated.
In the meantime, if you have a question, please write it in the comment field below.
Or if you would like to enquire about a flight to/from Medan, please fill in this form.
223 Comments on “New Airport in Medan”
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It says in “The Bare Essentials” at the top of the post: 31km
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medina says:
I will go to medan by 4th feb 2014, how far the airport from jalan putri hijau medan? What’s the tranportarion available? And how it will takes? Thks for ur kindness.. :)))
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Rage on tour says:
Is the airport still open? Due to the vulcano eruption?
Thnx -
View Mt Sinabung & nearby airports in a larger mapMedan Airport is 120km from Mt Sinabung. Sometimes flights are delayed for updates on the latest situation (where the ash is), but there is no airport closure.
Near the equator, the ash doesn’t always head east like it did a few years ago from the Icelandic volcano.
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creshna says:
is there any bus to medan from the airport? and what price for a ride?
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Arthur says:
Does the Train from KNO Airport goes to Medan City anywhere near to Istana Plaza. How long to reach there? What’s the station name in Medan City?
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The station name in Medan City is Stasiun Kereta Api Medan. “Kereta Api” is optional.
The journey takes 45-55 minutes.
Sorry, I don’t know where Istana Plaza is, so cannot answer your other question.
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Shane says:
We arrived at 6:30 am on 22 march from KL. I want to know how far it takes from parapat to berastagi then from berastagi to Medan? Is it better to travel by taxi or rent car? We are at budget trip. Thanks
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Self-drive rental cars are rare in Indonesia. In North Sumatra, the norm is shared private car (not really a taxi) with driver. Agencies like Raja Taksi are common.
You probably would have to travel from Parapat to Berastagi via Medan.
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Yes, what I meant is share private car with driver. I just wondering is it possible to go to berastagi from parapat via simarnunjung and kabanjahe? I see the map that you share. Thanks
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Wendy says:
Hi, Chris , I have overlook all the enquiry and answer…. I have some question still no clear… Hope you can confirm with me.
1.)By Garuda flight transit in Medan have to change terminal have to pay airport 75.000 rupiah ….. Then only can continue to then next fight ….?
2.) Penang to Medan , Medan to Penang , is the airport taxes only paying when coming back from Medan to Penang? ( mean out Indonesian only pay the airport taxes) then have the sticker is stick to boarding pass right prove for airport taxes.
3.) can I know the visa on arrival, cause I have 1 friend is holding china passport….. She going Medan soon then she don’t know Malay and English how should I help her to go to immigration and do her visa on arrival. Please help and give the information.
Will appreciate very much…
Wendy -
Hi Wendy,
$US25 = visa on arrival, you pay when you arrive in Medan from international flight. More information about visa on arrival
Rp75 000 = international airport tax, you pay when departing Medan for Penang or another international destination. More information about airport tax
Rp35 000 = domestic airport tax, you pay when departing Medan on a domestic flight.
Citizens of China can have visa on arrival. List of countries that receive visa on arrival
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chong says:
I will be arriving Medan from Penang on 10 April 7.30am. I intent to take bus from airport to Permatang Siantar then to Paraput. May I known the schedule and the charges. Thank you.
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Milan says:
Hello,
we would like to go to Berastagi. I know that we should go to Pinang Baris Bus Station. Which bus should we take from airport and how much it should costs?
Thank Milan
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Hi Milan,
There is no airport bus to Pinang Baris. No, I don’t know why.
But there is an airport bus to Kabanjahe, which would pass through Berastagi. Tickets are Rp60 000 each. Source
If for some reason, the airport bus cannot stop in Berastagi, it is 15 minutes by minibus back from Kabanjahe.
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Andy says:
Hi,I need some advice as I will be reaching the kuala namu airport by 8am.
How do I get to Grand swiss belhotel if by train?or which bus should I take to reach there?
Thanks -
Hi Andy,
We review the Medan Airport Rail-link here. There is a timetable there; we recommend aiming for the 09:00 train to Medan.
Grand Swiss-Belhotel is one of several quality/star-rated hotels near Medan Railway Station. Others include: JW Marriott Hotel Medan, Aryaduta Hotel Medan, Grand Aston City Hotel Hotel Medan.
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Easter says:
Hi, may i know which station should i stop if i travel by train from Kuala Namu Airport to Candi Hotel, Jalan Darussalam?
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Dear Easter,
The train only stops at the final destination: Medan Railway Station.
Here are directions from Medan Railway Station to Candi Hotel, Jl Darussalam.
It is also possible to take an airport bus from Kuala Namu Airport to Plaza Medan Fair, which is closer to your hotel:
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Dan says:
Hi Chris!
My wife and I are traveling to Indonesia in September 2014 and I was hoping you could comment on our plans and see if we should do things differently.
So we arrive at Kuala Namu International Airport at 19.20 on 11th September. We plan to take a shared taxi or bus to Parapet. Is there a direct bus to Parapet or does it stop and drop of people at many places on the way? I understand a shared taxi will cost about IDR75K and takes 4 to 5 hours, how much does the bus cost and how long does it take?
We then plan to stay overnight in Parapet and get the morning ferry to TukTuk and stay there for 4 days.
We are planning to book a flight from Kuala Namu to Denpasar on 16th September at 11.45am. The plan is then to take the last ferry from TukTuk to Parapet and get a taxi or bus to a hotel near Kuala Namu airport as I understand there are no hotels there. We were thinking of staying at Tebing Tinggi overnight on the 15th and then getting a taxi to the airport in the morning. How long will it take to get to the airport from Tebing Tinggi at that time in the morning…..we should be there about 10am.
Can you recommend a place to stay in Tebing Tinggi?I have been doing a lot of research and there is quite a lot of contradictory advice so I was hoping this plan would work in your eyes!
Thanks in advance for you help.
Dan and Saara Smith
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Hi Dan,
The cost of the bus depends on whether you take a nicer bus with a/c, or just the average one. There aren’t many stops between Medan and Parapat on the bus. The last time I visited North Sumatra was before fuel prices rose (in June 2013), so I can’t give an exact price. Other websites like e.g. Lonely Planet Thorntree are good for this.
We had a good experience with the shared taxis operated by Raja Taksi. They have offices in Medan (near the Amplas bus terminal) and Parapat. I think Wikitravel has their phone number, but you would need someone at e.g. your hotel to speak to them in Indonesian.
There are no hotels at/near Kuala Namu Airport. We recommend our clients take the rail-link and stay at a hotel near Medan Railway Station. There are more choices there than in Tebing Tinggi.
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myc says:
just paid 200000 rupiahs for airport tax for international flt from medan to singapore at thr Valuair counter. Was rather shocked at the difference cos hv searched thru so many websites prior and read that it was 75000 rupiahs.
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Hi Myc,
Yes, airport tax rates at Medan Airport changed yesterday, 19 May 2014.
We did update our airport tax guide as soon as we knew.
We also warned people repeatedly via our Twitter account last week:
Airport tax to increase on Monday 19 May 2014 at Medan's Kuala Namu International Airport (KNO). New rates here: http://t.co/oUzsUyAUZ9
— Chris @ Mau Ke Mana (@maukemanaflight) May 15, 2014
Diagram: new airport tax rates in Medan (KNO), Tanjung Pandan (TJQ) & Pekanbaru (PKU), starting Mon 19 May @PKU_AP2 pic.twitter.com/EHl3gAP5pw
— Chris @ Mau Ke Mana (@maukemanaflight) May 17, 2014
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oh , i’m not on twitter. i should hv planned my dep earlier, ha ha. tis anyway for this excellent web page here
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Hi Chris,
Thanks for your reply.
However I think its a waste of time going “past” the airport and staying in Medan and then have to return to the airport the following day when I can just stop off in Tebing Tinggi….for the night and get a taxi in the morning…..not looking for any 5 star hotel but just somewhere with a bed! Do you know of any cheap hotels in TT?Thanks again!
Br.
Dan and Saara -
Hi Dan,
Sorry, I have only ever travelled straight through Tebing Tinggi, so I can’t help.
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hi
how far from kuala namu airport to medan.