Jakarta. Representatives of Bali's royal families and traditional community leaders on Friday urged President Prabowo Subianto to move forward with the long-delayed North Bali International Airport, saying it was time to fulfill a campaign pledge that has yet to materialize.

The delegation met Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman at the Presidential Palace to seek clarity on the project's future after months without a formal government decision.

“We have come here to ask the president to fulfill his promise,” Ida Cokorda Gde Putra Nindia, chairman of an association representing Bali's royal families, told reporters after the meeting.

He said the group wanted the government to clearly state whether the airport would proceed.

“If the project is canceled, then announce it. If it goes ahead, it should be accelerated because building an airport takes about five years,” he said.

According to Cokorda, Prabowo first pledged during the 2024 presidential campaign to build an international airport off the coast of Kubutambahan in Buleleng, and reiterated the commitment shortly after taking office. The project was later incorporated into the government's 2025-2029 medium-term national development plan.

Supporters argue that a second airport is needed to improve connectivity, create jobs, and promote more balanced economic development between northern and southern Bali.

At present, Bali is served by only one international gateway -- I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport -- located in the island's south.

“Development in South Bali has been massive, while people and young generations in North Bali have not enjoyed the same employment opportunities because there has been little development,” Cokorda said.

He added that the proposed airport would be financed entirely by private investment rather than the state budget, although he did not disclose details of prospective investors.

The proposed North Bali Airport has been under discussion for more than a decade amid competing development plans and regulatory hurdles. The project is estimated to cost about Rp 50 trillion ($2.8 billion) and is intended to ease congestion at Ngurah Rai International Airport, which handles all of Bali's international air traffic.

The government has said construction can proceed only after Bali finalizes its provincial spatial plan and resolves land-use issues, including the selection of a final project site and the settlement of any land disputes.