"We will issue circulars to all participants, athletes, and officials that they must leave their lodgings a maximum of five hours before the planes take off," INASGOC Chairman Erick Thohir said after accompanying the Minister of Law and Human Rights affairs, Yasonna H. Laoly while inspecting the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten Province on Thursday.
Thohir stated that the five-hour period ahead of departure was to anticipate traffic congestion that might occur towards the airport, following the simultaneous return of the participants of the 18th Asian Games.
"We had learned from the traffic jams in Brazil and in London during the Olympics," he remarked.
He also asked the Indonesian people to support the smooth flow of traffic to Soekarno-Hatta Airport by avoiding traveling on Sept 3.
"Passenger density may occur at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport because participants will return to their countries after the closing of the Asian Games on Sept 2," he explained.
However, he was optimistic that the port operator, PT Angkasa Pura, airlines, and airport stakeholders would be able to handle the arrival and return of Asian Games participants following the handling of passengers during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr (Lebaran) flow.
"We do not worry about the arrival of the participants, because they will come gradually. They will enter through the immigration counter, specifically set up for the Asian Games, because they already have a visa," he elaborated.
Thohir further noted that the total number of 2018 Asian Games participants from 45 Asian countries had reached 17,194 people, or 20 percent more than the 2014 Asian Games participants in Incheon, South Korea.
Reported by Imam Santoso
Edited by Bustanudin
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
