The Ngurah Rai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Bali, Indonesia. The airport, which was completed as a domestic airport in 1949 started as a runway during the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1947.
The Ngurah Rai International Airport has another name which is known as Denpasar International Airport. The current standard name is based on an Indonesian National Hero who fought the Dutch in 1946 during the Indonesian Revolution.
The Ngurah Rai International Airport was opened and officially inaugurated by Indonesian President Suharto on August 1, 1968.
Today, the Ngurah Rai International Airport is one of the most modern and most efficient airports in Southeast Asia carrying a daily average of about 36,000 domestic and international passengers. Almost 150 international flights land and depart from the Ngurah Rai International Airport.
The exterior design of the Ngurah Rai International Airport combines both modern and traditional Balin architecture characterized by wide domes interspersed with Stuka-type of exterior roof designs, while the interior expresses a lavish design of modern architecture. It has a separate departure and arrival halls that add up to the generous space enjoyed by passengers.
The rich color of Bali architecture is expressed in both the exterior and interior designs of the Ngurah Rai International Airport. The airport consists of the international terminal and the domestic terminal with a total of 18 gates and 62 departure check-in counters for the international terminal, and another 62 counters for the domestic terminal.
Despite its being tagged as one of the busiest airports in Indonesia, the airport facilities and management allows the Ngurah Rai International Airport to service both international and domestic passengers in the most efficient and cost-effective ways.
From the Ngurah Rai International Airport, you can proceed to nearby tourist destinations in Bali. Jimbaran is one of the tourist spots in Bali located south of the Ngurah Rai International Airport. The travel time by land to Jimbaran is about 20 minutes.
Uluwatu is where you will find the ancient Hindu temple with ocean vistas and is located at the southernmost coastal area of Bali. It can be reached from the Ngurah Rai International Airport by car for about 39 minutes.
Seminyak is north of the Ngurah Rai International Airport and is where you will find the major tropical beach destinations. The travel time by car or taxi is about 30 minutes.
Ubud is north of Denpasar and is an urbanized tourist destination with modern facilities. The distance from the Ngurah Rai International Airport to Ubud is 38 kilometers and can be reached by car in about one hour.
Canggu is within the vicinity of Seminyak where fine restaurants and commercial beach resort establishments can also be found. It is about 20 minutes by land up north from Seminyak.
Almost all international airlines land and depart at the Ngurah Rai International Airport. The most popular ones include Air New Zealand, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Hong Kong Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Virgin Australia among others.
The Ngurah Rai International Airport is considered one of the best international airports in the world today.
