Tangerang rejects AP II plans to develop Soekarno-Hatta Airport

PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II), operator of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, was told to build a new airport somewhere else in Tangerang rather than developing the existing airport with a new design in the Tangerang municipality.

“AP II should build a new airport at a different location, not develop the existing one, which is [struggling with] overcapacity,” Tangerang deputy mayor, Arief R. Wismansyah, told reporters on Wednesday.

He said that if the operator just develops the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the grounds of overcapacity, similar problems will reemerge within a few years, causing the situation at the airport to become more chaotic.

If AP II is ready to invest Rp 11.7 trillion to develop the existing airport, why not just build a new airport at another location, as Tangerang has plenty of unused land.

He cited a 700 hectares plot of land owned by state oil company PT Pertamina in Balaraja district as an example of land that could be utilized.

He said the construction of a new airport would be the best solution to reduce various problems at Soekarno-Hatta airport.