Kertajati International Airport Explained

Kertajati International Airport
Image2-Width:250
Iata:KJT
Icao:WICA
Type:Public
Owner:Provincial Government of West Java, Indonesia via PT Bandar Udara Internasional Jawa Barat[1]
Operator:Angkasa Pura II
Location:Majalengka Regency, West Java, Indonesia
Elevation-F:134
Timezone:WIB
Pushpin Map:Indonesia_Majalengka Regency#Indonesia_Java#Indonesia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Majalengka Regency##Location in Java##Location in Indonesia
Pushpin Label:KJT/WICA
R1-Number:14/32
R1-Length-F:9,843
R1-Length-M:3,000
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2019
Stat1-Header:Passengers
Stat1-Data:460,848 (July–December)

Kertajati International Airport is an international airport serving the Greater Bandung and Cirebon metropolitan areas, as well as parts of the West Java and Central Java provinces, Indonesia.[2] Now one of the two largest airports in Indonesia (with Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta),[3] it is located in Majalengka Regency, approximately 68km (42miles) east of Bandung.

The airport began operations on 24 May 2018 when the Indonesia One presidential aircraft landed at the airport. A grand opening took place in July 2019.[4] The new airport is supposed to function as a reliever airport for Soekarno Hatta, providing additional spillover capacity. Upon completion, the airport will have a total capacity of 29 million passengers annually, with additional space for expansion.[5] The airport will also operate cargo terminals with an official estimate of 1.5 million tons of cargo by 2020.

Development

In order to ensure completion of Kertajati Airport, construction of Karawang Airport has been put on hold and Kertajati was fast-tracked for completion.[6] [7] The 1,800 hectares airport is estimated to cost Rp 25.4 trillion. The plan includes three 60-meter-wide runways (measuring 3000, 3750 and 4025 meters) capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 747-8, Antonov and Airbus A350. The airport is also to be equipped with the technology needed to handle the most recent and modern aircraft, such as the Boeing 787.[7] The project will include a 3,400-hectare aerotropolis known as Kertajati Aerocity. Twice the size of the airport, this aerotropolis is to be a center of economic growth[8] and is located north of the Cipali Toll Road, east of the Manuk River.[9]

Project implementation consists of five phases: preparation (2015), phase I (2015-2020), phase I-II (2016-2025), and purpose phase III and IV after 2025. During Phase I, the project focused on airport development. Phases I-II are Kertajati Aerocity development, phase III will be the growth of Kertajati as aerotropolis, and as the final phase, Kertajati Aerocity will act as an enabler of the sustainable economic center. Based on the strategic development plan, in addition to regular large passenger jet and cargo flights, the airport facilities have been optimized for Low Cost Carriers (LCC) and Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia.[10] [11] This will eventually shift Bandung and West Java passengers and traffic to Kertajati, alleviating congestion at Soekarno–Hatta Airport.[12]

The airport currently features a single runway with the apron capable of accommodating 22 aircraft.[13] In April 2019, work extending the runway to 3000 metres was completed, and wide bodies such as Boeing 747s have landed.[14] [15]

On 11 July 2023, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced that Husein Sastranegara Airport will be retired and all commercial flights will be moved to Kertajati starting October 2023 when it is fully operational.[16]

Terminal

Initially, the terminal area was 121000m2 and included two concourses with domestic and international gates, handling 11 million passengers a year. As construction proceeds, the terminal was to expand to 209151m2, with a passenger capacity of 30 million passengers per year by 2019, with plenty of space left over for phase II expansion.[17] Citilink was the first airline to obtain permission to fly the Kertajati-Juanda route, starting in June 2018 and using an Airbus A320 aircraft.[18]

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

Statistics

Frequency of Flights at KJT[19]
RankDestinationsFrequency (Weekly)Airline(s)
1 Kuala Lumpur–International11AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines

Ground transportation

Several bus companies, including Perum DAMRI and private operators provide services from the airport to various destinations of West Java roundtrip. Damri Airport bus is free-of-charge (until the next Christmas/holiday season or Eid season).[20]

Service Destination (Kertajati Airport)
Shuttle Airport Bus
CTU Shuttle Bandung
CTU Shuttle Tasikmalaya
Damri Bandung
Damri Cirebon
Damri Cikarang
Damri Kuningan
LINTAS Shuttle Bandung
ECA Shuttle Bandung
ECA Shuttle Kuningan
ECA Shuttle Indramayu
Bhinneka Shuttle Bandung
Bhinneka Shuttle Cirebon
P-Trans Purwakarta
Arnes Sumedang
Arnes Majalengka
BJT Cirebon
Budiman Tasikmalaya
Baraya Bandung
Mekarsari

Damri Airport Bus tickets to Bandung cost Rp 75,000 and to Cirebon cost Rp 40,000.[21] The central government is currently providing a transportation subsidy by operating free Damri buses for one year, from Karawang, Cirebon and Bandung.[22] The airport can be accessed by Cisumdawu Toll Road, which is completed in 2023. The airport is also connected to Cikopo-Palimanan Toll Road with an extension.[23]

Train routes of Bandung-Garut and Cianjur-Bandung will also be forwarded to Kertajati Airport for accessibility support.[24] Although still pushing for high speed rail project that will extend from Bandung to the airport, PT Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) and Railink have signed an MOU to build rail tracks and airport train system, when necessary.[25] [26]

Criticism

During the soft opening, the airport suffered from mismanagement owing to lack of passengers utilizing the airport.[27] [28] [29] Vice President Jusuf Kalla also criticized the local authorities for not doing proper research when developing the airport.[30] Similarly, the Indonesian Ombudsman criticized failures and lack of effort by the airport company, BIJB in consulting airlines when developing the airport.[31] Poor occupancy caused Indonesia's national airline Garuda Indonesia to eventually pull out of the airport in September 2019.[32]

On 1 July 2019, all domestic flights from Husein Sastranegara Airport (located within the city of Bandung) were diverted to Kertajati Airport.[33] Many passengers and airlines complained that the airport was too far from the city of Bandung that it served.[34] [35] The diversion of all domestic flights from Husein to Kertajati was also criticized as being too soon. Prior to the completion of the Cisumdawu Toll Road, access to the airport to and from Bandung was inconvenient and poor. These factors caused domestic visitors from outside of Java to shun Bandung, resulting in a decline of hotel and restaurant revenue in the city.[36] Many domestic flights to Kertajati were returned to Husein on 20 August 2020.[37]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: West Java Regional Regulation number 22 of 2013 concernintasg The Establishment of Regional Owned Enterprise for West Java International Airport and Kertajati Aerocity Manager. West Java Legal Data and Information Networks (In Indonesian). 17 October 2018.
  2. Web site: Province looks forward to international airport | the Jakarta Post . 2009-04-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090505191204/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2006/12/22/province-looks-forward-international-airport.html . 2009-05-05 .
  3. Web site: Geser Kualanamu, Bandara Kertajati bakal jadi terbesar kedua. KiniNEWS. en-US. 2019-02-07.
  4. Web site: Historical landing marks operation of Kertajati Airport . Lilis Sri Handayani, Puti Almas . May 24, 2018.
  5. Web site: Tampung Pesawat Airbus A380, Bandara Kertajati Perpanjang Runway. Artantiani. Dwi Ayu. 24 October 2017. okezone.com. id-ID. 2019-02-07.
  6. Web site: Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative - IndII . 2012-09-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131219073814/http://www.indii.co.id/news_daily_detail.php?id=4638 . 2013-12-19 .
  7. Web site: Majalengka's Kertajati Airport to become operational in 2017 . January 14, 2016.
  8. News: Jokowi Pastikan Bandara Kertajati Beroperasi Pertengahan 2018. Kompas. 28 December 2017.
  9. Web site: Master Plan . October 30, 2016 . October 31, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161031023753/http://bandarakertajati.com/master-plan/ . dead .
  10. Web site: Early December, Kertajati Airport Development Reaches 76 Percent. December 20, 2017. December 20, 2017. June 24, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180624150935/http://www.en.netralnews.com/news/business/read/16539/early.december..kertajati.airport.development.reaches.76.percent. dead.
  11. Web site: Grand launch of Kertajati Airport set for mid next year.
  12. Web site: Competition accelerates Kertajati airport schedule | the Jakarta Post . 2012-09-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130615081859/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/07/02/competition-accelerates-kertajati-airport-schedule.html . 2013-06-15 .
  13. News: "Runway" Diperpanjang, Bandara Kertajati Siap Layani Penerbangan Jarak Jauh. Kompas. 1 February 2019.
  14. News: April 2019, landasan pacu 3.000 meter Bandara Kertajati siap digunakan. Antara. 22 January 2019. 28 May 2023. id. SJ. A. Sudrajat. Ajat. April 2019, the 3,000 meter runway at Kertajati Airport is ready for use.
  15. News: Pesawat Berbadan Lebar Boeing 747 Sukses Mendarat Perdana di Kertajati. Bisnis.com. 12 January 2020. 28 May 2023. Pamungkas. Wisnu Wage. id. The Boeing 747 Wide Body Aircraft Successfully Landed for the First Time in Kertajati. Taufikul Basari. M..
  16. Web site: Warga Bandung Harus Naik Pesawat Via Kertajati Mulai Oktober. www.cnbcindonesia.com. id. 2023-07-14.
  17. News: Kertajati Airport Set for Eid Exodus. Tempo. 29 May 2018.
  18. News: Citilink to Serve Flight from Surabaya to Kertajati Airport. Tempo. 29 May 2018.
  19. Web site: FLIGHT SCHEDULE AND ROUTES IN KERTAJATI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. PT BIJB.
  20. News: 11 Public Transportation Available in Kertajati Airport : AP II. Tempo. 26 June 2019.
  21. Web site: Jadwal Bus Damri ke Bandara Kertajati dari Bandung dan Cirebon . November 3, 2018.
  22. News: Free bus service to support Kertajati airport for one year. The Jakarta Post. 8 July 2019.
  23. News: Astra subsidiary to build Cipali toll road extension to Kertajati in 2020. The Jakarta Post. 2 September 2019.
  24. News: Two Train Routes will Connect Kertajati Airport. Tempo. 1 February 2019.
  25. Web site: BIJB-Railink Sign Transportation MoU for Kertajati Airport. 2017-03-28. 2018-06-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20180624152241/http://www.en.netralnews.com/news/business/read/650/bijb.railink.sign.transportation.mou.for.kertajati.airport. dead.
  26. News: Expansion of high-speed rail project under consideration: Luhut. The Jakarta Post. 12 February 2018.
  27. Web site: Subiantoro . Raydion . 14 December 2018 . Bandara Kertajati Tertatih-tatih Cari Maskapai dan Penumpang . 2018-12-18 . CNBC . id.
  28. Web site: Anwar . Muhammad Choirul . 11 December 2018 . Alasan Bandara Kertajati Sepi Penumpang: Kurang Sosialisasi! . 2018-12-18 . CNBC . id.
  29. Web site: Baehaqi . Ahmad Imam . 2018-12-14 . Penumpang Pesawat di Bandara Kertajati Masih Sepi, Pejabat PT BIJB : Butuh Kerja Keras Semua Pihak . 2018-12-18 . Tribun Jabar . id-ID.
  30. Web site: Bandara Kertajati Sepi, JK Kritik Proyek Minim Penelitian . 2019-04-10 . CNN . id.
  31. Web site: Maul . Andy . Bayu Kencana . Rizky . April 8, 2019 . Bandara Kertajati Sepi Penumpang karena Dibangun Tanpa Kajian Pasar . 2019-04-10 . liputan6.
  32. Web site: Lingga . Murti Ali . 20 September 2019 . Jatmiko . Bambang Priyo . Garuda Indonesia Tutup Satu-satunya Rute Penerbangan di Bandara Kertajati . 2019-10-09 . kompas.com . id.
  33. Web site: 1 Juli 2019, Bandara Husein Sastranegara Pindah ke Kertajati. www.cnnindonesia.com. id. 2023-07-14.
  34. Web site: Warga Keluhkan Jarak Bandara Kertajati Terlalu Jauh . 2019-10-09 . gatra . id.
  35. News: Wijaya . Callistasia . 2019-07-02 . Bandara Kertajati: Terletak jauh dari pusat kota, akankah diminati masyarakat? . id . BBC . 2019-10-09.
  36. Web site: Tingkat Kunjungan Menurun, Pajak Hotel dan Restoran di Bandung Tak Capai Target. www.prfmnews.com. id. 2019-10-16.
  37. Web site: CitiLink dan Lion Buka Kembali Penerbangan di Bandara Husein. www.news.republika.co.id. id. 2023-07-14.