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tate-run airport management company, PT Angkasa Pura II, is planning to expand Bandung’s Husein Sastranegara International Airport passenger terminal, to increase its capacity by up to 300 percent.

“The terminal capacity was designed to cater for 700,000 passengers annually,” Husein Sastranegara airport’s Angkasa Pura II general manager, Eko Diantoro, said in Bandung on Tuesday.

According to Eko, the current number of arrivals and departures at the airport far exceeds the terminal’s capacity.

“The number of passengers is projected to reach 1.5 million by the end of the year due to the increasing number of flights to and from Bandung,” he said.

The terminal’s expansion will extend onto land on the eastern side of the airport, an area previously used by state-run aircraft manufacturer, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI). Recently, PT DI handed the land over to the Air Force, which is the land’s owner.

According to the proposed plan, the terminal will be expanded to a size of 30,000 square meters. In explaining the need for the expansion, Eko said PT Angkasa Pura II faced difficulties in arranging three departing and arriving flights within a period of an hour.

“Once the terminal is larger, it can serve up to seven departures and arrivals within an hour,” said Eko.

The Husein Sastranagara International Airport currently serves both domestic and international flights. So far, eight airlines operate at the airport, namely Air Asia, Batavia, Garuda, Lion Air, Merpati, Pacific Royal, Silk Air and Sriwijaya Air.

“Other airlines are lining up to introduce flights from here, such as Citilink and Indonesia Air Transport, which are expected to fly to three cities from Bandung,” said Eko.

The increasing number of passengers arriving at and departing from the airport, added Eko, has been attributed to the lengthy overland traveling time to and from Jakarta.

“Now, you get stuck in traffic as soon as you arrive in Jakarta. There are also many more flights from Bandung, so the number of departures has increased,” said Eko.

Besides that, Bandung is a prime tourist destination for domestic and overseas visitors.

“The number of international departures from Bandung, such as to Singapore, is quite high,” he added.

Regarding Idul Fitri holidaymakers returning to Jakarta from Bandung, state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia’s (KAI) Bandung Operational Zone has extended the period of the Idul Fitri transportation post to Sept. 2.

“The extension is aimed at supporting services as well as passenger safety,” said PT KAI’s Bandung Operational Zone spokesman, Bambang S. Prayitno.

The post period was also extended, added Bambang, in order to educate people to use trains in an orderly, safe and comfortable way.

According to him, PT KAI carried 706,570 passengers from Aug. 9 until Aug. 26, a 1 percent increase compared to last year’s total of 696,833 passengers.