JAKARTA: The government is preparing to 'reactivate' Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung, West Java, to start serving scheduled flights operated by commercial jetliners in September.
“According to information from Angkasa Pura regarding Husein Sastranegara airport in Bandung, they’ve made preparations for it to begin operations on Sept 17,” Lukman F. Laisa, the Transportation Ministry’s civil aviation director general, said on Tuesday (June 30), as quoted by Antara.
He was referring to the state-owned airport operator also known as InJourney Airports, with which the ministry had conducted an inspection to ensure that the airport was ready to resume operations.
The inspection results showed that several adjustments were needed so that the airport, which currently serves only scheduled domestic flights using propeller aircraft, would have the capacity to serve jetliners.
Lukman said several measures had been taken to elevate the airport’s operational standard, including by upgrading its rescue and firefighting services to category seven from category five previously.
The runway would also be repaired and resurfaced to accommodate jet aircraft, he added.
Meanwhile, the government had started mapping flight routes and seeking input from airlines.
“We are classifying flight routes and we will look at airlines’ demand to see exactly where they want the routes to go. Once there’s new demand, we can develop an operational plan in line with the current conditions,” Lukman said.
InJourney Airports has expressed its commitment to expedite operational readiness at the airport in Bandung to optimise services for both domestic and international flights.
In a statement on June 25, the airport operator’s president director Mohammad R. Pahlevi said: “Preparations are being made in accordance with the directives of the Civil Aviation Directorate General, prioritising security, safety and service to ensure the smooth operation of Husein Sastranegara airport.”
The civil aviation office also ordered that Husein airport should serve scheduled commercial flights for both domestic and international routes using jet and propeller aircraft, as well as nonscheduled commercial flights and noncommercial flights.
In 2023, the government decided to close Husein airport for commercial flights and diverted the majority of planes to Kertajati International Airport in Majalengka, West Java.
Former transportation minister Budi Karya Sumadi explained at the time that the main reason for the flight diversion was safety, including runway length, surrounding topography and increasing population density around Husein airport.
The move sparked criticism from local authorities, however, who said the airport closure had adversely impacted the Bandung economy and tourism.
Meanwhile, Kertajati airport has been struggling with weak demand and mounting operational losses reaching more than Rp 60 billion (US$3.35 million) annually.
In May this year, officials of the West Java capital said President Prabowo Subianto had instructed the reactivation of Husein airport for commercial flights.
They also expressed hope that passenger traffic at the airport could recover to levels before the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan, the airport welcomed around 3.8 million passengers in 2019, with domestic travelers making up the lion’s share at 3 million passengers. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
