More Flights for Soekarno-Hatta Airport
22 May 2014 15:44 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-
The Transportation Ministry will increase the number of flights at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport. In mid-June 2014, air traffic will increase from 64 to 72 flights per hour. Early next year, it will be further increased to 80 flights. "The key to successfully [manage] the aircraft movement is discipline," said Bambang Tjahjono, the airport director at the Transportation Ministry, yesterday.
The increase is meant to improve the airport's air transportation services. According to Airport Councils International (ACI), as of now, Soekarno-Hatta is listed as the eighth busiest airport in the world with 62.1 million passengers per year. Therefore, the new flight slots must be added.
AirNav Indonesia has already created a simulation of the plan and showed that one of the consequences of the decision is planes can no longer park for too long at the airport. Additionally, navigational support and taxiway configuration must be improved.
"Airlines should prepare a procedure that allows the plane to immediately leave the ground after it lands," said Wisnu Darjono, AirNav Indonesia director of safety and standard.
According to Wisnu, another aspect that should be considered before increasing the number of flights is to add a runway on the east side of the airport and a queue line that goes straight to the plane parking area.
MARIA YUNIAR | PUTRIADITYOWATI