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Security lax at new Juanda Airport facilities
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 11/08/2006 11:46 AM
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo
State-owned airport management company PT Angkasa Pura I on Tuesday opened the new-look Juanda Airport in Surabaya to passengers.
The airport, located near Semampir village in Sedati district, Sidoarjo, about 10 kilometers from the city's downtown, received several new facilities, including passengers terminals and an apron.
However, some questions have been raised about security at the new facilities.
Eko, a staff member at the airport's animal quarantine section, spent much of Tuesday telling passengers where to find a toilet, rather than monitoring for endangered animals being smuggled through the airport.
""Many passengers are still confused by the new facilities at the airport. Actually, not just the passengers; we're still confused as well,"" Eko said.
The new facilities are located on a 300-hectare plot of land north of the old airport buildings. They are designed to handle larger numbers of passengers.
The management of PT Angkasa Pura I on Tuesday deployed 200 security personnel, including Navy members, to provide security at the airport.
However, these security personnel were not equipped with all the equipment needed to do their jobs, including hand-held metal detectors to check vehicles entering airport.
In addition to questions of security, there was also little information available for passengers arriving at the new facilities. ""There should have been a guide or more information to prevent passengers from getting lost,"" said one passenger, Rudi.
The head of Angkasa Pura I's data and reports unit, Edmundus Priyono, acknowledge problems with security and the information system at the new facilities. He promised to improve the situation in stages.
""We're still building a new post for security guards to check vehicles with metal detectors and plan to open it soon,"" said Edmundus who is also a spokesman for PT Angkasa Pura I.
Despite the shortcomings, however, the new facilities provide more passenger services compared to the old facilities.
For example, there is a multiuser check-in system which enters all of the data on passengers and their baggage in one main computer.
The new facilities also include a more spacious apron, capable of accommodating 18 planes. Its total area covers 148,000 square meters, compared to 126,000 square meters at the old facilities.
