The new Kualanamu Airport of Medan replaces the old Polonia Airport. The new airport was official opened on July 25, 2013 and is built on an area of approximately 1,300 acres which made it the second largest airport in land use in Indonesia after Soekarno Hatta Airport and will be the fourth busiest airport in Indonesia after Jakarta, Denpasar and Surabaya.
The international airport has a modern building design with a variety of modern facilities. Airport name is taken from the word 'Kuala' and 'Namu'. Kuala is a Malay word which refers to the place where rivers enter the sea. The word NamuĀ is derived from the word Namo from the Karo language meaning heart. Combined Kuala Namu means Meeting Place. This name is also consistent with the location as it is nearby water (the Malacca Strait) and beaches.
Most flights from Kualanamu International Airport are to Jakarta and to Kuala Lumpur but there are many more flights to other destinations as well, most of them by Lion Air. Every day there are flights to 19 destinations from Kualanamu International Airport. Here are the most popular destinations:
The Kualanamu Airport is located about 35 km east from Medan city center.
Kuala Namu airport has a train station that connects it to downtown Medan, the one-way fee is Rp 100,000 per person and it takes about 45 minutes.
Damri Busses to several destinations in Medan start at Rp 15,000, a cheaper option than the train but they can take almost twice as long.
Airport taxis charge about Rp. 150,000 for the one hour ride in Medan.
All prices quoted here were found in July 2017
