The most populous province in Indonesia, West java, is home to approximately 47 million people, almost double the number of people living in Australia. However, the province does not have a major international airport, hence hindering the air connection the people need to be globally competitive.
West Java’s largest metropolis, Bandung, has an international airport, but its presence is almost non-significant. Currently, those residing in the area travel to Jakarta so as to reach overseas and many destinations across the archipelago. (Jakarta’s airport is geographically located in Banten province, close to the capital’s border).
It will change soon. West Java is building a new large scale international airport that can potentially absorb the traffic of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Kertajati International Airport is currently under construction in the regency of Majalengka, somewhere between Bandung and Cirebon in West Java. The airport project, which is also within reach by the population of Jakarta, has officially started in 2013 and the government expects the grand launch of this new ariport to occur in June next year.
This airport, worth US$750.18 million, is built to ease aircraft and passenger congestion at the country’s main gate, Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Tangerang, Banten, and also replace the Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung, West Java, as the commercial airport of the region. Two runways as wide as 3,500 x 60 meter and 3,000 x 60 meter that can accommodate Boeing 747 or Boeing 777 are currently being laid out.
The air side will consist of two runways and an approximately 230.000 m2 apron which can host up to two Boeing 777, 10 Boeing 737-900 ER and 12 Boeing 737-400 planes. There will be taxiway, runway strip as well as other supporting facilities too.
Reportedly, Kertajati Airport will be a gateway to West Java, for flights coming from Asia and Africa, while Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will accommodate more global flights network.
A soft launch could still be carried out in January or February next year, which would be followed by a trial operation, according to Indonesia's transportation minister.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has also set a target that within the next 15 years the country will have 299 airports. This means it has to start building 62 new airports, to up the game from the current number of 237 airports. The new airports will be built at Anambas Islands, Riau Province, Miangas Island – North Sulawesi, bordering with the Philippines – Maluku and Papua, among others.
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Source and reference :
Global Indonesian Voice : West Java’s Economic Ambition is in the Air published on Jan 28th, 2016
The Jakarta Post : Grand launch of Kertajati Airport set for mid next year published on Feb 24th, 2017
Directorate General of Civil Aviation : Kertajati Airport, the Newest Airport of West Java published on Jan 13th, 2016
