Airlines Barred from Rescheduling Flights

TEMPO.CO, Tangerang – The Jakarta Air Traffic Air Center (JATSC) said they would banned airlines from rescheduling their flights to prevent the domino effect of a delayed flight on the runway. “There will be no more changes,” said JATSC general manager Budi Hendro Setiyono.

Budi  said the new regulation is included in the standard operating procedures set by the Indonesian Flight Navigation Service Organizer Bodies (LPPNPI) and is also an attempt to increase the runway capacity by optimizing the runway occupancy time.

Budi said many airlines had abruptly rescheduled their flights, and that the JATSC received 170 slot requests from domestic  and international flights at 72 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

He added most of the airlines had asked for slots in the main hours, which are around 15.00-21.00. “We rejected all of those requests,” said Budi. He explained that under the regulation, which will be implemented as of July 10, tardy airlines would be pushed to the back of the queue and have to wait for the next flight slot.

Budi said airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II, meanwhile, had teamed with the LPPNPI to increase the runway capacity by optimizing the runway occupancy time. The LPPNPI has announced that the optimal occupancy time during takeoff can be reduced to 90 from 110 seconds and occupancy time during landing from 65 to 50 seconds. It is hoped that these new procedures will be able to help alleviate congestion at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The increased capacity of Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s two runways has stepped up aircraft movement from 64 to 72 per hour. The capacity of the runways was upgraded last month to reduce delayed flights.

JONIANSYAH