JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) has approved the reopening of Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung, West Java, to serve scheduled commercial flights starting September 17, 2026.
Even so, the government ensures that the operation of Kertajati International Airport will continue to be optimized.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said. Preparations for the reopening of Husein Airport are currently being carried out.
According to him, various aspects must be ensured to be ready before the airport is ready to serve jet-bodied aircraft.
"So we are preparing everything before the reopening of Husein Airport to serve large aircraft," said Dudy in a media briefing in Jakarta, Friday, June 26.
For information, Husein Sastranegara Airport has no longer served scheduled commercial flights since the end of October 2023 after all services were transferred to Kertajati International Airport.
Dudy emphasized that the readiness of infrastructure was the main concern, ranging from air-side facilities to passenger terminal capacity. This is important considering that the airport is expected to serve an increase in the number of passengers as scheduled flights operate.
"It must be ensured that Husein Airport is ready to serve jet aircraft. Then, the terminal capacity and so on, are ready to accommodate an increase in the number of passengers," he said.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Lukman F. Laisa said PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia as an airport operator has prepared all operational needs for the reopening of Husein Airport in mid-September.
"Still from Angkasa Pura, for Bandung they have prepared for September 17," said Lukman.
On the other hand, Dudy ensured that the reopening of Husein Airport would not reduce the government's commitment to optimizing Kertajati Airport.
In addition to continuing to serve domestic and international flights, Kertajati is also directed to become a center of aviation industry activities.
Dudy said that one of the efforts encouraged by the government was the development of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, as is currently being carried out by GMF AeroAsia.
"There is a kind of there, so where there is not only flights, but also activities related to flights, such as maintenance, and so on, we encourage them to be able to use Kertajati Airport," he said.
Furthermore, Dudy revealed that the Ministry of Defense was also exploring the use of Kertajati Airport as a location for the Hercules transport aircraft maintenance facility. The discussion involved the manufacturer of aircraft from the United States.
"Then from the Ministry of Defense there are indeed discussions with American manufacturers for maintenance of the Hercules aircraft. We are open to anything related to the optimization of Kertajati Airport. We focus on making the airport operate optimally," he said.
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