Collaborative Governance in Airspace Sovereignty: Managing the Indonesia Singapore FIR the Kepulauan Riau–Natuna

Abstract

This article examines how collaborative governance can be mobilised to safeguard Indonesia’s airspace sovereignty in the Indonesia Singapore Flight Information Region (FIR) arrangement over the Kepulauan Riau–Natuna corridor. It addresses the tension between international aviation safety requirements, longstanding FIR delegation to Singapore, and Indonesia’s constitutional mandate to exercise full and exclusive control over its airspace. Adopting a qualitative case study, the research combines document analysis, focus group discussions, and semistructured interviews with key national stakeholders and experts, and interprets the data through Ansell and Gash’s collaborative governance framework. The findings show that historical power asymmetries, fragmented institutional mandates, and limited interoperability of technology and procedures have constrained Indonesia’s bargaining position and hindered effective interagency coordination. At the same time, recent regulatory reforms and the 2022 FIR realignment open a policy window to redesign institutional arrangements, clarify roles between KEMENHUB, KEMENHAN, KOOPSUDNAS, KEMENLU, and AirNav Indonesia, and strengthen trustbuilding mechanisms with Singapore and Malaysia. The article concludes by proposing a collaborative governance model that links airspace sovereignty, safety oversight, and regional diplomacy, arguing that only a rulebased, inclusive, and transparently coordinated regime can gradually transform delegated air traffic services into a configuration that secures Indonesia’s strategic interests while maintaining the safety and efficiency of international civil aviation routes in Kepulauan Riau–Natuna.