Timor-Leste is urging Indonesia to accelerate delayed construction at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, where Indonesian state-owned contractor Waskita Karya is extending the runway and building related facilities. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028 and includes a new passenger terminal with two boarding bridges to increase capacity and improve operations at the country’s only international airport.
Transport and Communications Minister Miguel Marques Gonçalves confirmed that the government is pressing Waskita Karya and Indonesian authorities to increase the pace of work, which is progressing more slowly than planned. The airport upgrade began in May 2026 and is being delivered under a design-and-build contract valued at approximately US$72.5 million, with support from the Asian Development Bank.
The runway is planned to grow from 1,850 metres to 2,150 metres, alongside construction of associated airport infrastructure. Timor-Leste is seeking completion ahead of its preparations to assume the ASEAN chair in 2029, when improved facilities and greater airport capacity will be required. No revised completion date or quantified delay has been disclosed.