Gov’t to Relocate Bandung Airport Flights to Kertajati

of Transportation Budi K. Sumadi inspects Kertajati International Airport, in Majalengka Regency, West Java, Tuesday (18/6). (Photo: Ministry of Transportation Public Relations)

Domestic flights of jet-type aircraft to outside Java will gradually be relocated from Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung to Kertajati West Java International Airport (BIJB), Majalengka Regency.

“This relocation is carried out in stages, so that on 1 July 2019, all of these flights can be relocated,” Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi stated after conducting a follow-up meeting on the relocation of commercial jet type aircraft from Husein Sastranegara Airport to Kertajati Airport, Tuesday (18/6).

Some of the relocations, the Minister added, will be made on 20 and 23 June 2019. Kertajati Airport will serve 56 jet-type aircraft domestic flight activities (28 take-offs and 28 landings).

After the relocation, Husein Sastranegara Airport will only serve domestic routes of propeller planes inside Java and International routes.

“Bandung (Airport) will serve all propeller planes and foreign flights. (The number) is 32 take-offs and 32 landings, so there are 64 flight activities in total. We have agreed on this. God willing, we can carry out it well,” Budi said, while adding that he expected more flights from Java in the future.

“The Bandung Airport has a short and rather concave runway, with a lot of residents surrounding the area, so the propeller planes are (rather suitable for the condition). This type of plane can have lower speed, so we can anticipate better. Also, it is superior in serving short routes, such as to Tasikmalaya,” he said.

The Bandung Airport, the Minister explained, may serve two daily flights to Tasikmalaya, an increase from the existing one daily flight. “There will be alternative (routes). There are a lot of Bandung flights demands which we can’t comply to them before, but now we can add flight slots to Bandung,” he stated.

The Minister instructed state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II to arrange flights in such a way that the two airports could complement each other, especially related to domestic and international routes.

“Bandung is a tourist destination, so we will not relocate the international flight from Bandung Airport. (Tourists) from Malaysia and Singapore are very interested in Bandung, but the  Bandung Airport slots are limited. Kertajati airport will improve international transportation. We share the functions of Husein Sastranegara and Kertajati Airports with the agreement of all parties,” Budi said.

These are 56 flights which will be relocated to Kertajati Airport, including flights to Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Batam, Bali, Kualanamu, Lombok, Pekanbaru, Pontianak, Makassar, and other flight destinations. The airlines that have stated their commitments on this matter include Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Wings Air, Sriwijaya Air, Nam Air, and Citilink. (Ministry of Transportation PR/ES)

Translated by : Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Edited by : Ridwan Ibadurrohman, Mia M. Bonaedy