T

he Perum Indonesian Flight Navigation Service (PPNPI), which will manage air traffic controllers in Indonesia, is to be initiated on Jan. 16. The service sets out to improve air navigation services across the country.

“The new company will create a single air traffic system in Indonesia taking over from [state-owned airport operator] Angkasa Pura I and Angkasa Pura II. We hope the transition process will be complete within a year or two,” State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said.

The new air navigation firm was the result of a mandate from the 2009 Aviation Law that authorized the government to transfer air navigation service management from airport operators to nonprofit institutions in order to improve the nation’s air traffic services.

“The company will be led by Ichwanul Idrus because he is experienced in the navigation sector and has the qualities of a good leader,” he said.

Ichwanul currently serves as flight navigation director at the Transportation Ministry.

The company will be based in Jakarta, but will be allowed to open additional branches if necessary. It covers basic flight navigation services including Air Traffic Service (ATS), Aeronautical Telecommunication Services, Aeronautical Information Services (AIS), Aeronautical Meteorological Services and Information services for Search and Rescue (SAR).

Contacted separately, Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang S. Ervan said that the PPNPI would unify air traffic services between the western and eastern areas of Indonesia, the Jakarta Automated Air Traffic Control System (JAATS) and Makassar Air Traffic Service Center (MATSC), this year.

“According to the regulation, the transfer process will be carried out in gradual steps. This year we are going to integrate the main air traffic systems in the country, including assets and human resources,” Bambang said.

He said that the ministry had assigned Rp 98 billion (US$10 million) in injection capital to the firm. The funds will cover the cost of navigation instruments for four airports: Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan; Dewadaru in Karimun Jawa, Central Java; Tarakan, East Kalimantan; and Sentani, Papua.

There are currently 233 airports nationwide controlled by Angkasa Pura and the ministry.

Radar malfunction, which occurred twice in the country’s main gateway Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the past two years, exposed problems with air traffic management in Indonesia.

— JP/Nurfika Osman