Jokowi Asks The Minister Of Transportation To Use Kertajati Airport For Maintenance Of TNI-Private Aircraft

Kertajati Airport /ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi to function Kertajati International Airport, Majalengka Regency, West Java, as an aircraft maintenance area or maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO).

The Minister of Transportation confirmed that his party had discussed the plan to make Kertajati the center of the MRO with the TNI and KSAU Commander in order to utilize the Kertajati MRO for maintenance of TNI-owned aircraft.

"We have had discussions with the TNI Commander, Kasau (TNI AU Chief of Staff), to take advantage of MRO activities or maintenance of TNI-owned planes, in which the TNI and GMF (one of the MRO companies) have coordinated," said Minister of Transportation Budi after a limited joint meeting. President Jokowi, at the President's office, Jakarta, Monday 29 March.

Minister of Transportation Budi said PT GMF Aero Asia, which is a subsidiary of state-owned company PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk, has also received a license to repair aircraft originating from the United States.

With this additional function, said Budi, the government will immediately begin the construction of an aircraft maintenance area or maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) in Kertajati.

"Therefore, we will immediately build it and we will develop it on the lands that we already have and we will do this quickly," he said.

Budi said Jokowi also requested that aircraft from government agencies, as well as the private sector, take advantage of the MRO area in Kertajati.

"Not only TNI aircraft, but also all government agency aircraft such as BNPB, Basarnas Ministry of Transportation, as well as the police in the pool there. So that maintenance is relatively better," he explained.

Not only that, Budi said, currently, the government is also developing the 62.60 kilometer-long Cileuny-Sumedang-Dawuan toll road or Cisumdawu toll road infrastructure that will connect Kertajati Airport with major cities in West Java.