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Melalan Airport Coastal & Island Airport illustrationCoastal & Island Airport
Airports
GHSsmall airport

Melalan Airport

Melak-Borneo Island, Indonesia
Explore Melak-Borneo Island city guide Navigate to this airport
0
Routes out
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Destinations
WALE
ICAO
330 ft
Elevation
AirlinesAirports profile

Gateway to the interior of Borneo's East Kalimantan region.

Location
Melak, Indonesia
Melalan Airport is a small domestic airport serving Melak, a town situated in West Kutai Regency in East Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, Indonesia. It provides essential air connectivity to a region that is otherwise difficult to access due to the dense rainforest and limited road infrastructure. The airport operates with limited scheduled services and is primarily used by regional turboprop aircraft. It plays an important role in supporting the local economy, including access to coal mining and forestry operations in the surrounding area. Given its remote location, Melalan Airport serves as a vital link for residents and workers who rely on air travel rather than the long overland or river journeys otherwise required to reach the region.
Terminals
The airport has a single small terminal building suited to low passenger volumes typical of a remote regional facility.
Getting to & from
Ground transport from the airport into Melak town is primarily by private vehicle or local taxi, as no formal public transit system serves the route.
Airlines here
Regional carriers such as Wings Air have operated routes connecting Melak to Balikpapan and other points in Kalimantan.
Notable facts
  • ›Located in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo.
  • ›IATA code GHS and ICAO code WALE identify this airport internationally.
  • ›Serves a remote region where river and road travel can be extremely time-consuming.
  • ›The surrounding area is known for coal mining and tropical rainforest resources.
  • ›Primarily handles domestic regional turboprop flights due to its short runway.
Wikipedia
This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Airlines serving this airport

No scheduled airline data available.

Routes

No route data available.

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City & Place Guide

Wild Borneo Rainforest Gateway on the Mahakam River

Melak is a small inland town in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, situated along the upper Mahakam River. It serves as a key access point for exploring the dense rainforests, remote Dayak villages, and unique orchid reserves of interior Borneo.

The town has a frontier character, with a modest market, basic guesthouses, and a riverside atmosphere shaped by river traffic and timber trade. Travelers who make the journey here are rewarded with authentic encounters largely untouched by mass tourism.

Melak is particularly famous for the Kersik Luway Nature Reserve, home to the rare black orchid, and it provides a launchpad for boat trips deeper into the Mahakam basin to visit traditional Dayak Benuaq and Tunjung communities.

  • •Kersik Luway Nature Reserve — protected habitat of Borneo's rare black orchid (Coelogyne pandurata).
  • •Mahakam River — scenic boat journeys through pristine jungle-lined waterways.
  • •Dayak Benuaq Villages — authentic cultural visits with traditional longhouses and rituals.
  • •Barong Tongkok Market — lively local market showcasing regional produce and crafts.
  • •Lake Jempang — oxbow lake rich in biodiversity and traditional fishing communities.
  • •Tropical Rainforest Trekking — guided walks through old-growth forest with diverse wildlife.

Getting around: Melak is best navigated on foot within town, while motorbike rentals and ojek (motorcycle taxis) are the primary options for reaching nearby villages and reserves. Klotok river boats are essential for traveling along the Mahakam to outlying lakes and communities. There is no rail service, and formal bus routes are limited; speed boats connect Melak to Samarinda downstream.

Best time: Visit between May and October during the dry season when river levels and forest trails are most accessible and wildlife sightings are more reliable.

Local food: Try wadi (fermented river fish), ikan bakar Mahakam (grilled river fish), jungle fern stir-fries, and rice dishes prepared in the Dayak tradition at local warungs.

This guide is provided for general information only. Verify details locally before making travel decisions.

Melalan Airport
Encyclopaedia

Melalan Airport is a domestic airport serving Melak, a town in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The airport is located approximately 8 km from Sendawar, the administrative capital of West Kutai Regency, and 5 km from Melak town center. It serves as a key gateway to West Kutai Regency and the surrounding areas by air. The airport primarily handles inter-regency routes within East Kalimantan, including flights to Samarinda, the provincial capital, and Balikpapan, both of which are currently served exclusively by Wings Air. It also serves pioneer routes to remote areas of East Kalimantan, including Long Pahangai in Mahakam Ulu Regency, operated by Susi Air. In the past, several other airlines, including Kalstar Aviation, NAM Air and Xpress Air, operated services to Melak, but these routes were subsequently discontinued, while some of the airlines have since ceased operations.

Read full article on Wikipedia

Entity data from open aviation datasets (OurAirports, OpenFlights) with AI-assisted editorial clearly marked. Always confirm time-sensitive details with the official airport website. Sources & verification