New gateway: Passengers pass a security check Wednesday at the newly opened Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport outside Jakarta. At present, the terminal serves only two airlines, Air Asia and Mandala Airlines. (JP/Multa Fidrus)

Passengers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be able to breathe easier, thanks to the new Terminal 3 that is expected to lighten the load on terminals 1 and 2.

The newly built terminal, for domestic flights, is located next to Terminal 2.

“As of today, we open the new terminal to the public for the operation of two airlines serving domestic destinations: Air Asia and Mandala Airlines,” airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II public relation manager Trisno Heryadi told reporters Wednesday.

Unlike terminals 1 and 2, which were designed with a traditional architectural concept, the Rp 300 billion (US$27.27 million) Terminal 3 is designed with a modern concept as an environmentally friendly and energy-saving building occupying a 3-hectare plot.

“The remaining work at the new terminal now is only the finishing of some supporting facilities, such as the parking lot, ticket booths and shopping arcade,” he said.

The new terminal is designed to accommodate as many as 4 million passengers each year for the two airlines.

Trisno said Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights were initially designed to accommodate as many as 9 million passengers each per year, but records show annual passenger arrivals at the airport have topped 32 million in the past two years.

“This caused the existing two terminals to become overloaded; the opening of Terminal 3 will reduce the burden on Terminal 1 from 16 million to 11 million passengers each year, at least,” he said.

The Jakarta Post observed the airport management had yet to provide airline ticket and taxi service booths at the new terminal, so Air Asia and Mandala passengers still had to buy tickets at Terminal 1 or through travel agents.

Air Asia provides a special bus service to ferry passengers from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3, while other passengers used the airport’s free shuttle buses serving terminals 1 and 3.

Angkasa Pura II will start building a connecting building between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 this year.

Yudi Jenggot, an Air Asia passenger heading to Yogyakarta, said he and some friends found no problems at all reaching the new terminal, because they had already been informed by the airline about the move.

“So far, so good. No problems. We also saw the written notices over at Terminal 1,” he said.

Another passenger, Ira Wardiah, booked on a flight to Medan, North Sumatra, said she and her mother had no problems at all with the moving of the departure from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3.

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