Four Airports Are Keys To Organizing Tourism In Indonesia

Illustrated. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that there are four airports that can be the key to managing aviation and tourism in Indonesia. This is because the airport emopath serves 90 percent of air traffic in the country.

The four airports are Soekarno-Hatta Cengkareng Jakarta, Juanda Surabaya, Kuala Namu Deli Serdang North Sumatra, and I Gusti Ngurah Rai Denpasar Bali.

Currently, according to President Jokowi, Indonesia has around 30 international airports to serve foreign flights. In fact, other countries do not have as many international airports as Indonesia.

"I see that our airline hubs are too many and uneven," said Jokowi in Jakarta, Thursday 6 August yesterday.

Therefore, he invited his staff to be brave in determining airports that have the potential to become international hubs by dividing functions according to geographical location and regional characteristics.

Currently, according to the President, there are eight international airports that have the potential to become hubs and superhubs, namely Ngurah Rai Bali, Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta, Kuala Namu North Sumatra, Yogyakarta, Balikpapan, Hasanuddin Makassar, Sam Ratulangi Manado, and Juanda Surabaya.

The President also said that to make a leap in the tourism sector, Indonesia needs an integrated supporting ecosystem from upstream to downstream. Therefore, Jokowi stated that there must be integration starting from the management of airlines, airports, hotels, to local creative industries.

"It really has to be designed with a more integrated management. More consolidation from upstream to downstream," said Jokowi.

Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Adita Irawati stated that she fully supports and will follow up on the President's direction regarding airport arrangement.

Currently we are discussing the next steps with the Ministry of BUMN and other stakeholders, "he said.

Meanwhile, Handy Heryudhitiawan, Vice President Corporate Secretary of PT Angkasa Pura (AP) I, said he was ready if the government wanted to cut the number of international airports in Indonesia.

Of the 15 airports operated by AP I, all have international labels. According to him, the superhub and hub patterns have already been proposed by the company, and the government only needs to determine the airport with international status.

"Indonesia is an archipelago country, currently only four airports have the highest international market in Indonesia, Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Medan. We have proposed this concept," he explained.