Reasons For Flights From Bandung Moving To Kertajati

Illustration of flights from Bandar Kertajati (Doc. Public Relations of BJIB)

YOGYAKARTA Kertajati Airport, located in Majalengka, West Java, officially operated fully on Sunday, October 29, 2023 after a flight diversion from Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung. Check out the reasons why the flight from Bandung moved to Kertajati in the following article.

For information, the full operation of Kertajati Airport was marked by the release of two inaugural flights, namely AirAsia airline on the Kertajati-Denpasar route departing at 08.15 WIB and the Super Air Jet airline flight on the Kertajadi-Medan route with a scheduled departure at 08.30 WIB.

The reason for the flight from Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung moved to Kertajati was revealed by the Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi.

Budi said, there are at least some reasons why flights from Bandung were diverted to Kertajati, including:

1. Safety and security factors

Minister Budi said that on Sunday, October 29, 2023, safety and security factors were the reason for the transfer of flights from Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung to Kertajati Airport in Majalengka.

Husein's Airport is a short base and he is in a basin so that from safety, Husein does have problems, especially since there are a lot of populations (around the airport)," said Budi Karya at a press conference at Kertajati Airport.

2. Runway at Husein Airport is inadequate

The second reason is to encourage direct flights from abroad, an adequate pada pada pacau (runway) is needed so that it can accommodate large-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777.

In comparison, Husein Sastranegara Airport only has a runway of 2,200 meters long. Meanwhile, Kertajati Airport has a runway of up to 3,000 meters.

"We also need a longer runway than Husein Airport, so that large aircraft such as the Boeing 777 can land so that flights from abroad, both from Asia, Europe, and other countries, can land directly in West Java. That's why our flight moved to Kertajati Airport," said Budi.

Kertajadi Airport is the second largest airport in Indonesia after Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten. This airport has an area of 1,800 hectares, with a passenger terminal area of 121,000 square meters and a cargo terminal of 90,000 square meters.

Kertajati Airport is projected to serve 5.6 to 12 million passengers per year until 2024, and is projected to accommodate 29.3 million passengers by the end of 2023.

After flights from Husein Airport are diverted to Kertajadi, every day there will be 16 flights with a seating capacity of 32,760 taxes per week or 4,680 taxes per day.

Budi Karya Sumadi hopes that all stakeholders, including Ministries/Institutions, local governments, the Tourism Office, hotel business actors, travel, and other related elements, can fully support flight activities at Kertajati Airport.

"With the better connectivity, it is hoped that it will improve the economy and tourism potential that will encourage the welfare of the community, as well as unite Indonesia," explained Budi.

After the flight diversion, Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung is still serving domestic scheduled commercial transportation types with intra-Java and Lampung routes, as well as charter flights.

At least, there is a route that is diverted from Bandung to Kertajati, namely the destination of Balikpapan (BPN), Banjarmasin (BDJ), Batam (BTH), Denpasar (DPS), Makassar (UPG), Medan (KNO), and Palembang (PLM). The seven routes are served by Citilinnk, AirAsia, and Super Air Jet jets.

For international flights with the aim of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it has been served since mid-May 2023. Likewise with Umrah and Hajj flights.

In terms of accessibility, travel to Kertajadi Airport is getting easier and faster with the Cisumdawu Toll Road. In addition, there are various modes of mass transportation that vary, such as Damri Bus, travel, taxis and micro buses from a number of points in the Greater Bandung area and other areas, namely Sumedang, Cirebon, Kuningan, Karawang, Majalengka, Tasikmalaya, Indramayu, Cimahi, Purwakarta, Subang, Ciamis, Banjar, and Pangandaran.

This is information about the reason why flights from Bandung moved to Kertajadi. Get news updates on other options only on VOI.ID.