Ministry of Transportation’s Decision Aims to Streamline the Connectivity and Enhance Efficiency in Airport Management.
The Ministry of Transportation has officially revoked the international status of 17 airports in Indonesia, from previously 34 international airports. The revocation of international status is stated in Ministerial Decree No. 31 of 2024 concerning the Determination of International Airports which was published on the 2nd of April, 2024.
This determination aims to encourage the national aviation sector which had slumped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This Decree was issued with the aim of protecting international flights after the pandemic by making airports international hubs in their own country,” said Ministry of Transportation spokesperson, Adita Irawati on Friday, 26th of April 2024, in a statement published on the ministry’s official website kemenhub.go.id.
“So far, most international airports only serve international flights to certain countries and are not long-distance flights, so international hubs are actually enjoyed by other countries,” added Irawati.
The following 17 airports have had their international status revoked:
- Maimun Saleh Airport, Sabang, Aceh
- Raja Sisingamangaraja XII Airport, Silangit, North Sumatra
- Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airport, Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands
- Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport, Palembang, South Sumatra
- H.A.S Airport Hanadjoeddin, Tanjung Pandan, Bangka Belitung Islands
- Raden Inten II Airport, Lampung
- Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung, West Java
- Adisutjipto Airport, Yogyakarta
- General Ahmad Yani Airport, Semarang, Central Java
- Adi Soemarmo Airport, Solo, Central Java
- Banyuwangi Airport, Banyuwangi, East Java
- Supadio Airport, Pontianak, West Kalimantan
- Syamsuddin Noor Airport, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan
- Juwata Airport, Tarakan, North Kalimantan
- El Tari Airport, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara
- Pattimura Airport, Ambon, Maluku
- Frans Kaisiepo Airport, Biak, Papua
PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (InJourney Airports) noted that too many international airports make services inefficient. For this reason, the airport management company welcomes the reduction in the number of international airports.
InJourney Airports’ President Director, Faik Fahmi, said that the reduction in international airports was in line with the company’s transformation efforts in managing airports in Indonesia. The goal is to build more efficient and effective air connectivity to encourage tourism and economic growth through better management of the aviation ecosystem, including airports.
One aspect that is taken into consideration in reducing the number of international airports in Indonesia is looking at the frequency of travel served by an airport.
“This has become inefficient and many of the facilities at the international terminal which are prepared according to regulatory standards are used in a limited way, even remaining idle for too long, such as X-ray facilities, waiting rooms at the terminal, and so on. Therefore, the government needs to reorganise it,” said Fahmi to the press on the 28th of April, 2024.