The first privately owned airport in Samarinda, Borneo, was located at Mahakam. At the beginning of 1950, many Catalina amphibious aeroplanes successfully took off at the airport. They were the first aeroplane that took off from Samarinda. On 17 September 1950, the first president of Indonesia Soekarno, took off from the airport on his first visit to Samarinda.
Temindung
The year 1969 was a critical point of aviation history of Samarinda, when the story of Temindung began. The location of Temindung belonged to Pertamina (Pelita Air Service) and the Government, who owned the land (the land originally named Temindung), which explains the name of the airport. First planned as an agricultural farmland. It became a small airport for the Government.
In 1974 the passenger terminal was completed, and Temindung became a domestic airport, renamed Samarinda Airport. But it remains popularly known as Temindung Airport.
At that time, the airline company at the airport were: