TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Regional-owned enterprise PT Bandarudara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) CEO Virda Dimas Ekaputra is confident that Kertajati Airport in Majalengka, West Java, can handle 2.7 passengers per year. “The target is a moderate projection,” he said in Bandung on Friday.
Virda explained that the consultant that came up with the projection after comparing it to the existing Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung and taking into account the toll project connecting Bandung, Sumedang and Majalengka. “Husein Airport handles 2.4 million passengers per year. If it’s closed, Kertajati would be crowded.”
The government has yet to make a decision over the fate of Husein Sastranegara Airport. Some have proposed plans to allow limited flights at the airport, such as private jets.
Virda said that the projection of 2.7 million passengers per year at Kertajati Airport was also based on catchment area in the north of West Java and borders area with Central Java. “We are also confident that passengers from Bekasi, who usually go to Soekarno-Hatta [airport], would prefer Kertajati because Cikarang Utama toll gate is congested, whereas the eastbound side is not. So, the catchment areas include Cikarang, Karawang, Cikampek, Purwakarta, Subang, Sumedang, Indramayu, Cirebon, Majalengka and Kuningan. Not to mention that there is a toll road that heads directly to Brebes.”
Kertajati is expected to attract passengers who used to travel through Husein Airport. The former has a larger runway dimension compared to the latter, allowing larger planes to land there.
However, the projection hinges on flight routes at the airport. “If the routes are attractive, passengers would be interested to go to Kertajati.”
Virda said that three airlines have shown interest to open new routes at the airport. Budget airline Citilink is eyeing flights to Surabaya, Denpasar, Medan, Batam, Yogyakarta, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Makassar, Pontianak and Lombok. Kalstar is interested in opening routes to Surabaya, Pontianak and Padang. Meanwhile, flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to open routes to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Shizuoka (Japan).
AHMAD FIKRI (BANDUNG) | RETNO SULISTYOWATI
