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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eve pay says:
What is the rate with Nice Trans taxi from Kualanamu to Parapat? Do the drivers speak English? Are they good and reliable drivers?
Thanks
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Hi Eve,
Taxi drivers often have limited to no English. I haven’t used Nice Trans, so can’t comment on the quality of their drivers.
The price is Rp450 000 for 3 passengers.
I would take the Paradep bus to Pematang Siantar and change to another bus to Parapat. It is much cheaper and no slower.
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Hi,
What is the rate for a private taxi from KNO to Parapat, for 3 people. A car will do, not a van.
I have heard of Nice Trans taxis but are there other taxi counters at the airport?
Thanks,
Eve -
Hi Chris,
I didn’t read your answer to my first post before I sent the second post. Thanks for your reply.
We choose to take a private taxi from the airport to Parapat, rather than the Paradep bus. Which taxi company do you recommend at the airport as in cost and safety?
Do you know if I can engage a taxi driver at the Tourist Centre in Berastagi, to take me from Berastagi to KNO?
Thanks,
Eve -
angela says:
Must we pay airport tax before leaving Kuala namu Int’l Airport. As I have bought an Jetstar Ticket which already included taxes.
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Most international flights still don’t include international airport tax. Domestic airport tax has only been rolled into airfares since 1 March 2015, and that was only after the Transport Minister threatened to shut down airlines that didn’t.
In Medan, international airport tax is Rp200 000 per person.
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Hi Eve,
You can’t take a taxi from the airport to Parapat. You would need to take a Medan taxi to near the bus terminal, then arrange another shared/long-distance taxi to Parapat from there.
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Halizah Hamzah says:
Hi Chris,
I’m planning a honeymoon trip with my hubby but I’m worried as there’s no hotel near airport. I don’t know where to go around Medan. Any recommendations for my honeymoon? I don’t want to spoil my honeymoon. Really appreciate your kind help.
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Dear Halizah Hamzah,
You are correct, there is no hotel near Medan Airport.
But there is a train between the airport and the city. It is a 40-minute journey, faster than a taxi.
There are many quality hotels near Medan Railway Station, including:
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Peter says:
Hi,
My friend and I are flying in to KNO on 12 January 2016 at 21:00hrs. We will have surfboard bags and personal luggage. We are booked at a city hotel but I can’t seem to get them to respond to me about whether they can come get us and take us to the hotel.
Will it be possible to get a taxi if needed. Given the bulky nature of the luggage will this be a problem. -
Justine says:
Hi Chris
I am travelling to Medan in Feb 2016 for one day (arrive in the morning and depart in the late afternoon) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Therefore, would much appreciate if you could assist me the following:-
1) Any shopping mall for me to kill 3 to 5 hours?
2) If yes, how to get to those shopping mall? How much will be the fare should I expect?
3) What is the airport tax to pay upon depart from MedanThanks
Justine
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Bilal says:
Hello sir,
This is my first time travel to Indonesia, and i want to visit medan, i am a indian cityzen. I would like to know the procedure inside the airport for immigration, such as, what are the documents i must carry? Should i do anything from my home country before starting the trip? And what are the steps that will take place in visa stamping?
Comment on “New Airport in Medan”.
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Hi Stefan,
The new Medan Airport was a palm oil plantation so it is really in the middle of nowhere in terms of roads and hotels, at least it is currently.
It would be faster to take the rail-link to the centre of town and stay at the nearby Grand Aston City Hall than to stay at a hotel near the airport.