JAKARTA AIRPORT CONGESTION
Some solutions to decongest Jakarta Soekarno Hatta Airport?
JAKARTA (eTN) - Few people know that today the second busiest airport in Southeast Asia after Bangkok is Jakarta Soekarno Hatta. The airport welcomes over 38 million passengers a year with average growth rates over the last five years fluctuating between 15% and 20%. Except that the theorical airport's capacity has been designed for only 22 million passengers. Jakarta airport is crowded, extremely crowded. Travelers will get a first hint of it when trying to reach the airport's compound. Long queues for cars start from the airport area's entrance, some two or three km away from the terminals.
Terminals 1 and 2, both built over 20 years ago and designed as a garden airport, have a total capacity for only 18 million people. Terminal 2 is still fine as it welcomes only international flights and Garuda, however, Terminal 1 is overcrowded all the time, as most domestic low-cost carriers fly from there. Terminal 3 - which is conceived to accommodate some 20 million passengers - for now has a capacity for only four million passengers/year, as only its first phase has been opened.
According to Tri Suriadjie Sunoko, Managing Director of Indonesia's Airports Authority Angkasa Pura II, Jakarta is now facing a painful lack of capacity. Urgent measures will have to be rapidly taken to be sure that Soekarno Airport can cope with an output of 40 million passengers a year. Authorities are looking to centralize passenger check-in in a bid to create more space inside the terminals and reduce long queues.
Last Saturday, AP II announced to have awarded the second phase of Terminal 3 to state construction firm PT Adhi Karya. The second phase construction will cost US$ 17.5 million and must be completed within 300 days. It will add at least another capacity for 4 more million passengers. Interviewed in Jakarta Airport's magazine "Travelounge," Mr. Sunoko expects that passenger traffic could reach 50 million within five years, while some experts at the Ministry of Transport talk of 60 million passengers by 2015!
"This is the challenge that we must anticipate. And we can't be anymore late to develop new facilities," explained Angkasa Pura II General Manager. Besides Terminal 3 expansion, Mr. Sunoko evocates the development of a fourth Terminal. It could be specifically designed to answer Garuda's requirements for an efficient hub with short transit times.
Meanwhile, the government is also considering the option to transfer some of the traffic to Jakarta-Halim Perdamakusuma, the capital's historical airport. Halim Airport is today used only for general aviation and presidential flights. The proposal came from the Association of Indonesian Airlines (INACA). However, it might take some time before turning into reality, as the air terminal and the runway system must be upgraded.
"Jakarta must welcome passengers with world-class standards by 2014/2015," indicated Mr. Sunoko. "Insha'Allah" would probably reply many Indonesians.
Comments
The situation at Jakarta's airport is indeed a disgrace and it is worsening beyond description.
The terminals are overcrowded; very often there is no seating left in the departure lounges. The facilities are very badly maintained, the domestic departure area has no proper cafés, shops or other infrastructure except for some dodgy but overpriced bad food outlets and newsstands. That is especially annoying because travel time to the airport as well as check in times are so unpredictable that it can take anywhere between 1 ½ hours to 3 ½ hours from Jakarta CBD to the departure lounge.
That means that very often you have to spend a lot of time in those overcrowded, loud, dirty, boring, often hot, smoky [yes there is a smoking ban but it is not enforced] premises.
Imagine, Jakarta is the second largest airport in SE-Asia but there is no functioning mass transportation system connecting it to the city and no indication that there ever will be.
Prepare for getting stuck for hours to and back from the airport during rush hours.
Check in, at least in domestic is a major nightmare. The check in terminal is usually very overcrowded, dirty and inefficient. Check in takes ages and is extremely badly organized.
On top of that there is a ridiculous Airport Service Charge, a levy that is obviously not spend on service improvement.
Look at Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok Airport – those places are efficient, clean, sometimes even fun and they don’t charge you. Not an airport fee and not for your visa. I feel well treated and welcome there.
I have to fly often for my job and Jakarta Airport is one of the greatest obstacles and nightmares for me.
Now that Garuda flies to Europe again there is talk about promoting Jakarta as an attractive stop-over destination. Good luck…
By the way, Bali domestic terminal is also a bad joke – however there is talk about radical improvement of facilities: I believe it when I see it! Selamat jalan di Indonesia…hahaha…
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