Sam Ratulangi International Airport Manado, is in North Sulawesi, 13 kilometres north-east of Manado. The airport is named after the Minahasan educator and independence hero Sam Ratulangi (1890–1949). It is designated as one of the 11 main entry ports to Indonesia by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Indonesia and serves as the main gateway to the Bunaken National Marine Park. It is currently the operating base of Lion Air and Wings Air for the north-eastern part of Indonesia and serves international scheduled flights to several destinations in Asia.

Manado is the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 census giving a population of 451,916, and the official estimates for mid 2023 showing 458,582 inhabitants, distributed over a land area of 157.26 km2. The Manado metropolitan area had a population of 1,377,815 as of mid 2023. The city is situated on the Bay of Manado, and is surrounded by a mountainous area.