Kalimarau Airport Berau not only acts as a passenger transportation route, but also becomes an important node in driving regional economic growth. Since 2024, Kalimarau Airport has opened a direct export route by air. This shows its potential as a driver of international trade from Bumi Batiwakkal. Head of BLU UPBU Class I Kalimarau, Ferdinan Nurdin, said that Kalimarau Airport already has export facilities even though it has domestic status. This makes Kalimarau the only domestic airport in Indonesia that is able to serve direct exports. "This is a privilege that not many airports have. We want business actors in Berau to take advantage of it as much as possible," said Ferdinan, Sunday (4/20/2025). He said that until now, export commodities are still dominated by marine products. However, the export potential from other sectors such as agriculture, plantations, forestry, and MSMEs is very large if managed and encouraged seriously.
"Many local products have high selling value and can penetrate overseas markets. It only takes courage and support from all parties," he said. According to him, exports via air provide a number of strategic advantages. Among others, time efficiency, delivery accuracy, and increased competitiveness of regional products in the global market. With exports via air, it provides many positives for business actors in Berau. In addition to providing a positive impact on business actors, the development of export services at Kalimarau Airport also has the potential to increase Regional Original Income (PAD) and open up new job opportunities for local people. "We are optimistic that with synergy between the government, business actors, and the community, Berau can become a region that actively exports its superior products by air," he concluded.
