Inadequate Technical Standards Delay Opening of Jakarta Airport's New Terminal

Jakarta, 14 Ramadan 1437/20 June 2016 (MINA) – The opening of a new terminal at Soe-karno Hatta Airport in Jakarta has been delayed just days before its debut – a setback for Indonesia’s plans to give Singapore Changi Airport a run for its money.

The planned start for the terminal’s initial phase has been pushed back due to a lack of certification and inadequate technical standards, Cna was quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting. .

Authorities said they are working with airport officials to ensure safety and security requirements are met, and the terminal will only begin operations when the government has given the go-ahead.

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At more than 42 hectares, the terminal is slightly larger than Changi Airport’s Terminal 3. When complete, Indonesia has said the terminal will be a five-star facility that will compete with neighbouring Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

“Physically, we have made this terminal in a way that it can hold its own compared to its neighbours. It’s big, and all the equipment – be it mechanical or electrical – is just as impressive as the scale of the airport,” said Mr Budi Karya Sumadi, President Director of Angkasapura II, a company responsible for the management of airports in Indonesia.

“We must consider feedback from airlines, we must consider input from the Transportation Ministry; we must heed all of the advice given to us, we cannot just go forward based on our own opinions. So even if we are late in beginning operations, it would still be within our schedule,” said Mr Sumadi.

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Soekarno Hatta Airport’s new terminal will have a baggage handling system that will feature more than 10 conveyor belts, 206 check-in counters, 38 self check-in counters and 12 baggage-drop counters. Passengers will have quicker clearance and experience shorter queues, according to officials.

The new terminal is expected to ease congestion, especially as overcrowding is a major problem at Jakarta airport’s terminals 1 and 2, which saw slightly more than 50 million passengers pass through in 2015. But critics said infrastructure alone will not be enough to beat its regional rivals.

“The Ministry of Transport, especially the Director-General of Civil Aviation, should set a certain standard for all workers operating in the airport, not just a competency in terms of skill but also awareness of safety and security. I think that’s still lacking right now,” said independent aviation analyst Alvin Lie. (T/R07/R01)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)