A 2027 Lombok seaplane network does not exist as an operating service today — it exists as one signed planning document. On 28 February 2026, the NTB provincial government and PT Aman Air signed a memorandum of understanding to prepare a seaplane waterbase at Bendungan Batujai in Central Lombok, targeting amphibious flights to five NTB island destinations, including Gili Trawangan. The same report notes that take-off and landing permits for Gili Trawangan had not been issued, because the island sits inside a conservation area. Everything past that point, including any 2027 route map, is a projection.
What Would a 2027 Lombok Seaplane Network Actually Connect?
The Batujai MoU names a hub, not a finished network. Bendungan Batujai is a reservoir in Central Lombok, chosen for its open water and proximity to Mandalika and the airport corridor rather than for any existing aviation infrastructure. The MoU describes amphibious service to five NTB island destinations, and Gili Trawangan is the only one of the five named directly in the 28 February 2026 report. The other four are referenced only as a count, not by name, in the public reporting available as of September 2026. A separate item from NTB tourism news dated 27 December 2025 describes flights linking Lombok’s international airport, BIZAM, to small islands as being “prepared” to start in 2026 — a different strand from the Batujai waterbase plan, and one that has not been confirmed operational in any report reviewed for this piece.
Treat these as two adjacent, unconfirmed threads rather than one finished timetable. A waterbase MoU is a planning step, not a flight schedule, and neither report gives a route-by-route launch date.
Which Islands Are Likely First, and Which Wait?
Gili Trawangan carries the highest name recognition of the five NTB destinations in the MoU, which is exactly why its permit gap matters. Conservation-area status inside Gili Trawangan’s marine protected zone means every take-off and landing lane needs a separate environmental and maritime clearance, on top of the aviation permit that any water aerodrome requires. Travelers comparing today’s crossing options, including a Lombok to Gili seaplane route once one exists, are currently comparing a live service (boats) against a projected one (seaplane), and that gap will likely persist longer for Gili Trawangan than for islands without the same protected status.
The table below separates what the 28 February 2026 report actually states from what would need to happen next, route by route.
| Projected Route | Likely 2027 Status | Permit / Regulatory Position (per available reports) |
|---|---|---|
| Batujai waterbase to Gili Trawangan | Named in the MoU; would need a resolved permit before any flight | Take-off/landing permit not issued as of the 28 Feb 2026 report; island is a conservation area |
| Batujai waterbase to four other NTB islands | Named only as a count of five in the MoU; identities not published | Not detailed in the public reporting reviewed; status unknown |
| BIZAM Lombok Airport to small islands | Described as “being prepared” for a 2026 start per 27 Dec 2025 report | Separate initiative from the Batujai waterbase plan; no confirmed operational date found |
| Batujai waterbase to Mandalika | Not named as one of the five MoU destinations | No public permit or planning document found; speculative extension only |
| Gili-to-Gili hops (Trawangan-Air-Meno) | Not addressed in any sourced report | Would require separate water aerodrome certification at each landing site; speculative |
What Has to Happen Before Any Route Actually Flies?
Indonesia’s Ministerial Regulation on Water Aerodromes, issued in August 2025, sets the legal floor for any of this. It requires a seaplane to follow shipping-sector rules while it is on the water, coordinate with coastal radio stations and vessel traffic services, and hold an operational coordination agreement with AirNav Indonesia and the relevant maritime units. Every water aerodrome used commercially must be certified or registered before flights begin. This lines up with how ICAO treats seaplanes generally: a vessel on the water, an aircraft in the air, each phase governed by a different rulebook.
Applied to Batujai, that means at least four separate approvals before a single fare could be sold: the waterbase itself certified as a water aerodrome, a coordination agreement with AirNav for airspace use, a maritime traffic arrangement for the water portion of each flight, and — for Gili Trawangan specifically — a conservation-area clearance that had not been granted as of the February 2026 report. None of the sourced material gives a timeline for clearing all four.
What Would Realistic Operating Windows Look Like If Flights Start?
Assuming a network eventually operates, the constraint is weather, not ambition. The Lombok Strait is known for strong currents and wind-against-current chop, at its worst during the monsoon transition months. The dry season, roughly May through September, gives better visibility but brings afternoon trade winds that build through the day. The wet season, roughly November through March, brings thunderstorms and squalls that ground both seaplanes and fast boats alike on the same days. A reasonable operating window, if a Batujai service launches, would run morning hours from about 08:00 to 11:00 and an afternoon block from about 13:00 to 16:00, with no low-light water landings — this is a projection based on general seaplane operating practice, not a published schedule, since no fare or timetable exists for any Lombok-Gili seaplane route as of September 2026.
How Would a Seaplane Network Compare With Today’s Boat Baseline?
Today’s baseline is entirely boats and land transfers, and it is worth knowing before comparing it to a route that does not yet exist. Public boats from Bangsal Harbour run IDR 15,000 to Gili Air (about 20 minutes), IDR 18,000 to Gili Meno (about 30 minutes), and IDR 20,000 to Gili Trawangan (about 40 minutes). Fast boats departing Teluk Nare cost IDR 85,000 to 150,000 per person, roughly US$5 to $9, with crossings of 10 to 15 minutes. Private speedboats chartered from Bangsal run IDR 550,000 per boat to any Gili, and a private crossing to Gili Trawangan takes about 15 minutes door to door on the water. Inter-Gili and Gili-to-Bangsal fast-boat fares sit in the IDR 100,000 to 150,000 range, though morning Gili Air to Trawangan connections can run indirect.
| Mode | Approx. Crossing Time | Approx. Fare (2026 guides) |
|---|---|---|
| Public boat, Bangsal to Gili Air | ~20 minutes | IDR 15,000 |
| Public boat, Bangsal to Gili Trawangan | ~40 minutes | IDR 20,000 |
| Fast boat, Teluk Nare crossing | 10-15 minutes | IDR 85,000-150,000 (US$5-9) |
| Private speedboat, Bangsal to any Gili | ~15 minutes | IDR 550,000 per boat |
Against that baseline, a seaplane would compete on speed to the airport corridor and on the novelty of a water landing, not on price — no fare table exists for a Lombok-Gili seaplane route, and none should be assumed until an operator publishes one.
What Should Travelers Do With a 2027 Projection Today?
Plan around what is actually running. As of mid-2026, no scheduled, publicly advertised seaplane network serves the Lombok-Gili corridor or Mandalika; every citable passenger option is a boat plus a land transfer. Santai Seaplane Indonesia is the one clearly commercial seaplane brand visible in current search results, operating a Bali-Lombok charter product; it is a separate, unaffiliated operator, and its existence does not confirm a Lombok-Gili route. Anything dated 2027 in this piece, or anywhere else, should be read as a projection tied to permits that had not cleared as of the most recent report, not as a booking window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Batujai seaplane waterbase definitely include a Gili Trawangan route by 2027?
No. The 28 February 2026 MoU names Gili Trawangan among five planned destinations, but the same report states its take-off and landing permits had not been issued because the island is a conservation area. A 2027 date is not stated in the MoU; it is a projection, and Gili Trawangan’s route is the least certain of the five given its protected status.
Is the BIZAM airport-to-islands plan the same project as the Batujai waterbase?
No, they are reported separately. NTB tourism news dated 27 December 2025 describes flights from Lombok’s BIZAM airport to small islands being prepared for a 2026 start, while the Batujai waterbase MoU was signed later, on 28 February 2026, with PT Aman Air. Neither report links the two initiatives into one combined schedule.
Who is building or licensed to operate a projected Lombok-Gili seaplane route?
Public reporting names PT Aman Air as the MoU partner for the Batujai waterbase plan with the NTB provincial government. Separately, Santai Seaplane Indonesia advertises a Bali-Lombok charter product but is not reported as party to the Batujai MoU. No operator has published a Lombok-Gili fare, schedule, or aircraft type as of September 2026.