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Kertajati set to serve flights by end of year, experts remain unconvinced
Kertajati International Airport, also known as West Java International Airport (BIJB), is set to serve domestic passenger flights starting November or December this year, in a possible revival of the facility after more than a couple of years left dormant.
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Facility inspection: Kertajati International Airport in Majalengka, West Java is shown still under construction on March 28, 2018. The airport was initially expected to serve 2.4 million passengers annually but experienced low numbers blamed on the distance from key nearby cities. (The Jakarta Post/Arya Dipa )
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ertajati International Airport, also known as West Java International Airport (BIJB), is set to serve domestic passenger flights starting November or December this year, in a possible revival of the facility after more than a couple of years left dormant.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Friday that the government had been in talks with several major airlines, including national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and the nation’s largest privately owned airline Lion Air Group, to start opening flight routes in the airport.
He added that the long-awaited Cisumdawu toll road, which will connect the airport in Majalengka with major cities like Bandung in West Java, was set to be completed by November, therefore solving the connectivity issue that had been plaguing the airport.
“God willing, there will soon be four flights. Then this will become eight in December. Plus, at least two umrah flights,” Budi said in a statement.
Read also: Airlines look to bright future but high costs stand in their way
Kertajati Airport has experienced many setbacks since it began operations in 2018, initially aimed to reduce congestion at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, the Air Force air base and Soekarno Hatta International Airport.
The Rp 4.9 trillion (US$327.2 million) West Java airport was deemed too far for many Indonesians used to traveling to Halim and Soekarno Hatta due to the lack of transportation access. Airlines have halted flights from the airport for the lack of passengers as well.
