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Flight frequency increased to meet increasing demand: Ministry
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Garuda Indonesia aircraft park at Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten. (Tempo/Tony Hartawan)
T
he Transportation Ministry has said maximum flight frequency at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport had been increased to 81 take-offs and landings per hour to accommodate increasing demand from aviation companies.
“Demand has been growing. Therefore, flight frequency has had to be increased,” the ministry’s director general for aviation, Agus Santoso, said in a media statement on Thursday.
The Indonesian Air Traffic Controllers Association (IATCA) on Wednesday complained about the decision by state-run air navigation company AirNav.
“By allowing this, the chance of an accident will increase and air traffic controllers will be the ones who are blamed,” Andre Budi, the deputy chairman of IATCA Jakarta, said in Tangerang, Banten.
Read also: Flaws in air safety revealed
Agus said as the main hub of domestic flights, Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s capacity had to be in line with the fast growth in tourism and economic activities.
"At Heathrow Airport, runways can handle 100 aircraft per hour. As long as procedures and regulations are obeyed, it will be safe," he said, adding that AirNav had done a study on flight safety.
In 2012, when air traffic was managed by Angkasa Pura, frequency was only 52 aircraft per hour. Since the job was taken over by AirNav, the maximum flight frequency has continued to be increased. Last year, maximum flight frequency was increased to 76, and under Transportation Instruction No. 16/2017, maximal flight frequency was increased to 81 this year. (dis/bbn)
