Government Wants To Close International Airports, AP I Opens Voice

AP I President Director Faik Fahmi (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) as an airport operator revealed that many international airports do not serve international flights. Therefore, downsizing is considered reasonable.

This statement responds to the government's plan to cut the number of international airports in Indonesia, to the remaining 15 airports.

AP I Main Director Faik Fahmi said that based on the data he has, from around 31 international airports, 90 percent of the international traffic is only at four airports namely Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Juanda Airport in Surabaya and Kualanamu Airport, Medan.

"There are no international flights. If there is downsizing, it's logical to ensure that the airport can be optimal," he told journalists, at the Ministry of Transportation, Tuesday, March 21.

Therefore, according to Faik, downsizing the airport is indeed reasonable. Considering that from an airport management perspective, Faik said, his party also had to issue a budget.

"If the international status is like AP 1, we have to prepare an international terminal, we have prepared it, but there are no flights. Then quarantine immigration must also prepare its human resources. After all, many airports with international status but do not have international flights," he said.

"So this effort needs to be supported, the important thing is how international tourist visits can be managed properly," he continued.

When asked which airports under the management of AP I would like to have their international status removed, Faik stated that he had not yet decided.

However, Faik explained several examples of airports managed by AP I that had international airport status but had no international flights.

"For example in Ambon, Kupang, airports which are relatively small have international status. For Lombok, because there is an event that appears, Manado starts to have a lot," he explained.

Meanwhile, Angkasa Pura II Main Director Muhammad Awaluddin did not talk much about the downsizing plan. However, he said he was still discussing it.

"Regarding the conditioning of the 15 airports, it is still being processed. So far, we are still using the existing processes and rules that apply," Awaluddin said.

For your information, the discourse on trimming international airports emerged from the statement of BUMN Minister Erick Thohir. Based on Jokowi's direction, said Erick, international airports will be cut to 15.