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View all search resultsAirlines blast inefficient international airport push
The Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) stated that adding more international airports would have little effect on inbound traffic.
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To the skies: Planes prepare for take off at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. The airport will serve 724 extra flights for this year’s holiday season. JP/Zul Trio Anggono (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
T
he Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) has criticized President Prabowo Subianto’s push to open more international airports, saying the initiative is driven by his personal preference rather than actual traffic demand.
“In Indonesia, the number of airports is primarily determined by the preferences of the incumbent President rather than by objective criteria regarding the operation of international airports in terms of technical, economic, traffic and international as well as domestic connectivity aspects,” INACA secretary-general Bayu Sutanto said on Tuesday, as quoted by Bisnis.
He acknowledged that opening more international airports could encourage domestic airlines to expand cross-border routes, noting that international status is often a key factor in establishing overseas flights, whether direct or via connections through other domestic airports.
However, Bayu maintained that adding more international airports would have little effect, pointing out that existing data already show which airports handle the most foreign and domestic traffic.
More than 7 million foreign tourists entered the country in the first half of this year, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data.
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, accounted for 46.28 percent of total arrivals, welcoming 3.26 million foreign visitors, followed by Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, with 1.19 million. Meanwhile, Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, received 149,272 foreign arrivals during the same period.
Read also: Airlines cheer, hotels slam reduction of international airports
