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New terminal may secure final nod in August
For your eyes only: A newly built apron movement control (AMC) tower stands at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s new Terminal 3
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For your eyes only: A newly built apron movement control (AMC) tower stands at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s new Terminal 3. The launch of the new terminal has faced delays due to various technical glitches, including the absence of a clear line of sight from the air traffic control (ATC) tower to the terminal’s apron area as it is partially hidden by the new building. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
After a series of delays, the operation of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s new Terminal 3 might commence in a few weeks following the Transportation Ministry’s acknowledgement of progress made by the airport’s operator to meet the standards set by the authority.
The expansion of Terminal 3 is an ambitious project worth about Rp 7 trillion (US$535.1 million). The new terminal is supposed to expand the heavily congested airport’s capacity, with the final stage of operations scheduled for 2017 and expected to have the capacity to accommodate 25 million passengers.
State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II initially planned to commence operations of the terminal on June 20, however a number of technical glitches had been detected during inspections conducted by the ministry.
The terminal’s electrical system, for example, could not immediately be backed up by standby generators during blackouts. Other findings included the absence of baggage handling signs and shortcomings related to the terminal’s aerobridge and air conditioners.
During a visit to the terminal in June, Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan also stated his concern over ground safety at the terminal, as officers in the airport’s air traffic control (ATC) tower were not able to get a clear visual of the terminal’s apron area, as it was partially hidden by the new building.
The ministry’s airport director, Yudhi Sari, said paperwork verification last week found that AP II had completed 70 percent of required administrative documents for the new terminal. The process would be then followed by on-site verifications and airport system tests.
“[The final verification and system test] will take place after July, or basically when AP II is ready. But they have shown some progress,” she said on Tuesday.
Providing an example of the progress, Yudhi said state oil and gas firm Pertamina was expected to complete building pipes to distribute jet fuel at the new terminal by July 27, a facility earlier requested by the ministry.
The ministry’s expert staff for media relations, Hadi M. Djuraid, said the final verification and operation of the terminal was expected to take place in the second week of August.
He also said the call for the construction of an additional apron movement control (AMC) tower at the terminal, as reported earlier, was not “urgent”, and would not affect the decision to operate the terminal later in August.
The ministry’s navigation director, Novie Riyanto, confirmed the statement, stating that the ministry was verifying and certifying the existing AMC tower. The additional tower is not needed yet as AP II has neither built that part of the terminal nor operated that area yet.
“The construction of this other AMC tower can be done independently later on,” he said.
The air traffic tower has been another major issue behind the delays in the operation of the new terminal.
Jonan expressed the concern merely days before final verification in June. AP II had borrowed a mobile tower from the ministry to solve the problem, but it had still not met requirements on account of a lack of certification.
The ministry later stated that AP II must build a permanent tower to complement the existing ATC tower. The company completed the establishment of the AMC tower earlier this week.
AP II president director Budi Karya Sumadi said he was optimistic that everything was still on track for an August launch.
“The current [AMC] tower is sufficient. We might only need it when we finish the construction of the second phase of Terminal 3 [expansion] by March [2017],” he said.
Located in Tangerang, Banten, Soekarno-Hatta, the main gateway to Indonesia, has long been congested, despite its annual capacity of 26 million passengers.
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