TEMPO.CO, Tangerang - State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II) is set to use GeNose C19 as a Covid-19 screening tool for would-be passengers at Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin Airport, Palembang beginning April 1, 2021.

“At the initial stage, we will use GeNose C19 on April 1, 2021, at Husein Sastranegara Airport Bandung and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Palembang. After that, we will gradually require it in other airports managed by the company,” said President Director Muhammad Awaluddin in a written statement on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

Based on the number of posts and the capacity of the tool engine, Husein Sastranegara Airport can serve around 400 people a day for the test, while Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport can accommodate around 700 people a day.

Based on the Circular of the Covid-19 Handling Task Force No. 12 of 2021 on domestic travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, Awaluddin said that the use of GeNose C19 is an alternative to the Covid-19 test besides PCR and rapid antigen test.

“We estimate that at this early stage, the number of aircraft passengers using the GeNose C19 test can reach around 10 to 15 percent of the total number of departing passengers,” he added.

The implementation of GeNose C19 at AP II airports will also comply with regulations released by the Ministry of Transportation. The operation of the test will later be carried out by competent business partners such as Farmalab, a subsidiary of state-owned pharmacy firm Kimia Farma.

Read: Indonesia Finalizing Rule to Use GeNose Covid Detector in Airports

JONIANSYAH HARDJONO