Kertajati Airport Has Fully Operated, The Target Is To Be Able To Serve 12 Million Passengers By 2024

Photo: Doc. Ministry of Transportation

JAKARTA - West Java International Airport (BIJB) or Kertajati Airport officially operates fully to serve domestic and international flights, after the transfer from Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung.

The full operation of Kertajati Airport was marked by the release of two inaugural flights today with an occupancy rate or occupancy of aircraft passengers reaching 70 to 80 percent, especially on favorite routes such as Denpasar, Medan, and Balikpapan.

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said the background for the transfer of flights from Husein Sastranegara Airport to Kertajati Airport was to increase flight safety and security factors.

"We 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," he said in an official statement, Sunday, October 29.

For your information, Kertajati 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, and a runway length of 3,000 meters times 60 meters.

Budi said this airport is projected to serve as many as 5.6 to 12 million passengers per year until 2024, and is projected to reach 29.3 million passengers per year by 2032.

After the transfer of flights from Husein Airport to Kertajati Airport, every day there are 16 flights with a seating capacity of 32,760 taxes per week or 4,680 taxes per day (coming and leaving).

Budi also hopes that all stakeholders, be it Ministries/Agencies, local governments, the Tourism Office, hotel business actors, travel, and other related elements, fully support flight activities at Kertajati Airport.

"Because, 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," said Budi.

On the same occasion, the Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers of the Ministry of Religion, Hilman Latief, said that the potential for Hajj and Umrah flights through Kertajati Airport is very good and will increase.

West Java is the province with the most Hajj pilgrims. For that we will optimize next year in line with the additional quota. We also urge Umrah organizers and prospective Umrah pilgrims to take advantage of and enliven Kertajati Airport," he said.

For your information, there are as many as seven routes that have been diverted from Husein Airport to Kertajati Airport, namely Balikpapan (BPN), Banjarmasin (BDJ), Batam (BTH), Denpasar (DPS), Makassar (UPG), Medan (KNO), and Palembang (PLM). The seven routes are served by Citilink, AirAsia, and Super Air Jet jets.

Meanwhile, overseas scheduled flight routes to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia have been operating since mid-May 2023, as well as Umrah and Hajj flights.

Accessibility to and from Kertajati Airport is getting easier and faster with the Cisumdawu Toll Road. And there are various choices of mass transportation modes, including Damri Bus, travel, taxis and micro buses from a number of points in the Greater Bandung area and other areas such as: Sumedang, Cirebon, Kuningan, Karawang, Majalengka, Tasikmalaya, Indramayu, Cimahi, Purwakarta, Subang, Ciamis, Banjar, and Pangandaran.

Meanwhile, after the flight diversion, Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung still serves domestically scheduled commercial transportation types with intra-Java and Lampung routes, as well as charter flights.