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Bisnis Indonesia - Bandara internasional dipangkas: Penerbangan domestik diprediksi kian bergairah
30 April 2024
Bisnis, Jakarta – National aviation operators predict that domestic air transportation will be more spirited after the number of international airports was cut to 17 from 34 airports.
Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA) Chairperson Denon Prawiraatmadja said that the policy cutting the number of international airports could boost air transportation connectivity.
According to him, one of the impacts of the decrease in international airports is a shift in the flight pattern.
“Therefore, all airports can thrive, so flight connectivity can be enhanced and equitable development can be realised,” he said on Monday (29/4).
Until now, the flight pattern has always been point-to-point as there are many international flights. With the decrease in international airports, he stated that it could change the national fight pattern back to the hub and spoke pattern.
He believes that the hub and spoke pattern can enhance air transportation connectivity and realise equitable national development.
Through the hub and spoke pattern, airports in small cities will thrive to become spokes for airports in major cities (sub hubs).
Sub hub airports will then support hub airports, acting as international airports to connect international flights.
Besides enhancing air transportation connectivity and supporting equitable development, the hub and spoke pattern will also bolster the effectiveness and efficiency of the national aviation business.
Denon further explained that the government's adjustment of the number of international airports was fair. This is because the airports designated as domestic airports can still temporarily serve international flights for specific purposes.
He also mentioned that a high number of international airports would cause the number of international flights to surpass domestic ones.
The point-to-point pattern has always benefitted foreign airlines.
PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk President Director Irfan Setiaputra reckoned that cutting the number international airports did not negatively impact Garuda. He clarified that Garuda did not operate international routes at airports whose status was changed to domestic.
“It does not impact us. Regarding international routes, we only fly from Jakarta and Denpasar,” Irfan said.
Irfan said that Garuda would still focus on developing international routes from the two airports. However, he cannot go into detail about the plan to add more international routes from the two airports.
Meanwhile, the President Director of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (API) or InJourney Airports, Faik Fahmi, developed a regional operating pattern following the government's decision to decrease the number of international airports in Indonesia.
API currently operates 37 airports. With the regional operating pattern, there will be airports acting as hubs and those acting as spokes.
Faik said that the hub-and-spoke pattern would build robust connectivity from hub airports to all parts of Indonesia.
“This pattern is the best practice in the global aviation industry, and it has been proven effective as it has been implemented in many countries,” Faik explained.
Previously, API managed 37 airports with 31 international airports and 6 domestic airports.
After Transportation Minister Decree Number KM 31/2024 on Stimulation of International Airports and KM 33/2024 on National Airport Arrangement, the number of airports managed by API changed to 16 international airports and 15 domestic airports.
