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ndonesia hopes to reclaim management of the airspace over Riau Islands, which has been controlled by Singapore since 1946, following years of futile attempts.

The completion of the Jakarta Air Traffic Services facility this year represents one possible step toward replacing Singapore in managing the airspace over Riau Islands.

Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday at Hang Nadim International Airport that Riau Islands would take over the management of its airspace in stages.

The Indonesian government’s efforts in the first stage would focus on capacity enhancements, such as completing the construction of the Jakarta Air Traffic Services facility.

“After that, we will seek to become a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO] and later reclaim our airspace from Singapore. But we cannot mention the exact time because it’s part of our strategy,” Bambang said.

Plans for the takeover not only need to be discussed with Singapore, but also with the ICAO, the international body that provided it with the mandate to manage the airspace, he added.

Singapore controls the airspace within a 110-nautical mile (Nm) radius of the city-state. As a result, Singapore’s Flight Information Region (FIR) extends over Indonesian territory, including Batam, Natuna and Dumai in Riau. Indonesia’s FIR extends over Australia’s Christmas Island.

Given Singapore’s broad FIR, Indonesia has lost potential income from the route tariffs charged to aircraft passing through these portions of its airspace.

The Transportation Ministry’s airport director Bambang Tjahyono said Indonesia should take necessary steps to boost the international community’s confidence in its ability to manage the airspace Singapore had controlled thus far.

According to him, the ICAO authorized Singapore to manage the airspace over Riau Islands, but Indonesia could take it back if it was equipped with a solid organization and the necessary equipment.

“Indonesia must take the necessary steps to be trusted internationally. We will start building a nation-wide airspace management system in 2013 and it will be completed in 2014. To reclaim the [Riau Islands] airspace, we must attend the ICAO conference,” he said.

Following its completion, Tjahyono said control of the new nation-wide radar system would be handed over to state-run airport management company PT Angkasa Pura. However, a total of Rp 350 billion (US$38.8 million) is still needed to build the control room, he added.

“Economically, we can earn income from planes passing our airspace. We could charge a higher price if we can provide good services,” Tjahyono said.

In May, Singaporean consular in Riau Islands, Raj Kumar, told the Post that Singapore had no qualms if Indonesia wished to reclaim the airspace over Riau Islands and the surrounding areas as long as the ICAO consented to the mater.

“There would be no problem if the ICAO allows it, please do so. There’s no problem with it,” Kumar said during a ground-breaking ceremony at the Bintan Resort Airport on Bintan Island.

He said that Singapore was also willing to help with technology transfers if the ICAO had confidence in Indonesia to manage the airspace.