Air transportation: Awaiting gain from Kertajati
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Bisnis Indonesia - Transportasi udara: Menanti tuah Kertajati
11 October 2023
The second half of this year is a sweet gift for Majalengka Regency Government and West Java Provincial Government. Kertajati Airport that dimmed due to the Covid-19 pandemic is starting to recover following the increase in aviation activities at the airport since May 2023.
The data from West Java Statistics Indonesia (BPS) shows that the number of foreign tourists that entered the province through Kertajati Airport continues to surge.
Even though the realisation is still only at around 400 foreign tourists, the condition is a positive signal that means the second largest airport in Indonesia is acting as a gateway for economic activities and even investment.
Moreover, several feeders are continued to be improved to connect the mobility of tourists from Majalengka to Bandung City as the heart of Pasundan.
Acting West Java Governor Bey Triadi Machmudin ensures that Kertajati Airport is ready to fully operate on 29 October 2023.
Moreover, Bey has also ensured the readiness of feeder buses from Bandung to Kertajati Airport that only took 1 hour and 30 minutes of travel time in the simulation.
“We believe that, on 29 October 2023, jet aircrafts that are transferred from Husein Airport will continue to operate,” he said at Kertajati Airport in Majalengka on Tuesday (10/10).
According to him, his agency and the Transportation Ministry have held coordination meetings with regional heads of Majalengka, Kuningan, Indramayu, Subang, Cirebon, and Sumedang to discuss preparations to carry out flights at the airport.
He revealed that five airlines planned to open 7 flight routes from and to Kertajati Airport on Sunday (29/10).
“From and to Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Batam, Denpasar, Makassar, Medan, and Palembang,” he said.
Meanwhile, Air Transportation Director General of the Transportation Ministry Maria Kristi Endah Murni explained that the operation of commercial flights was expected to make Kertajati Airport the pride of the whole community.
“It is an airport in West Java. So, we expect our friends from West Java to be proud of the airport and to go in and out through the airport,” she explained.
She added that her agency would provide an incentive for airlines at the airport. He added that the incentive would be between for the parking fee or the landing fee.
During the occasion, AP II President Director Muhammad Awaluddin said that all facilities in the land side and the air side at Kertajati Airport were ready.
Besides that, he added that coordination with all stakeholders has been established so that scheduled flights of jet aircrafts transferred from Husein Sastranegara Airport could be implemented smoothly.
“Scheduled flights of jet aircrafts that serve domestic and international routes are ready to be conducted from and to Kertajati Airport starting from 29 October. Coordination has been established by AP II with all stakeholders, including airlines, groundhandling, AirNav Indonesia, TNI, Polri, Immigration, Customs and Excise, the Quarantine Centre, and other institutions,” he explained.
The airlines that will operate at Kertajati Airport as of 29 October 2023 are Super Air Jet, Indonesia Air Asia, Citilink, and Malaysia Airlines.
According to him, buses from and to Kertajati Airport have been provided to go from and to Bandung, Cirebon, Kuningan, Tasikmalaya, Ciamis, Karawang, Majalengka, Cimahi, Purwakarta, Subang, Indramayu, Banjar, Pangandaran, Jatinangor, and Sumedang. Besides that, there are also taxis for point-to-point transportation.
AP II Operations Director Wendo Asrul Rose added that Kertajati Airport currently has a capacity of 20 flights per hour.
“Flight operation at Kertajati Airport is supported by a runway of 3,000 x 60 metres, 22 aircraft parking stands, and 36 check-in counters. We have made preparations to ensure the smoothness of flights on 29 October and so on,” he said.
He added that the airport was also fitted with a passenger terminal that has a capacity of 5.6 million passengers per year.
Awaluddin added that people in West Java were lucky as they currently have two airports that can support each other.
Awaluddin said that AP II was optimistic about the transfer of flights as the prospect of Kertajati Airport in Majalengka is quite positive.
Top destinations
With the operation of Kertajati Airport, West Java Provincial Government will also prepare the top destinations in Cirebon Raya.
West Java Tourism and Culture Affairs Agency Head Benny Bachtiar said that there were several airlines scheduled to land at Kertajati at the end of this month.
He revealed that it was a large opportunity to drive tourism, cultural, and creative economic potentials in Cirebon Raya.
“Our focus is Cirebon Raya with Cirebon City as the centre. Inshallah (God willing), in early November, foreign journalists will carry out familiarisation trips to determine the travel pattern in Cirebon Raya,” he said.
He sees that the full operation of Kertajati Airport is a momentum for the tourism and the creative economy industries in Cirebon Raya.
Preparations are continuously made by West Java Provincial Government and regency/local governments in Cirebon Raya. They are carried out to create a positive impression in the eyes of tourists.
“It is our task to educate locals around tourist destinations to create a safe and comfortable environment. Safety and comfort are important factors for tourists when visiting a destination,” Benny explained.
Moreover, Benny explained that tourism packages were currently being prepared in accordance with the market demand in West Java, especially Cirebon Raya. The step is implemented to attract potential tourists, both domestic and international.
He added that, in the activity, regional governments collaborated with associations in the tourism industry in West Java.
The northern part of West Java has many attractions, such as historical tourism, cultural tourism, culinary tourism, and a creative industry that is extremely unique and diverse.
Not only Cirebon Raya, the full operation of Kertajati Airport has also attracted the interest of business players in Bandung City.
Moreover, Bandung City Regional Public Enterprise (Perumda) Pasar Juara will make several efforts to maintain and increase the visits of foreigners to Pasar Baru in Bandung City.
It was stated by Acting Bandung City Perumda Pasar Juara President Director Ricky Ferlino to Bisnis in Bandung recently.
One of the efforts that will be implemented by the management of Pasar Baru is to cooperate with travel agents to establish a direct transportation route from Kertajati Airport to Pasar Baru.
“Later, there will be transportation from Kertajati to Pasar Baru,” he explained.
