The Airbus 320-200 aircraft took off at 11:30 a.m. local time and made a landing at the new Yogyakarta Airport at 12:36 p.m. local time. A water salute marked the smooth touchdown to parking, an airport tradition that is generally followed in honor of new airline services and inaugural flights.
Chief Executive Officer of Citilink Indonesia Juliandra Nurtjahjo revealed that the airline will operate one daily flight between Jakarta and Yogyakarta through the new airport.
Nurtjahjo is upbeat that the daily flights will be lucrative, taking into account the number of passengers travelling to and from Yogyakarta.
“The Yogyakarta market holds promise,” he remarked.
Nurtjahjo further expressed belief that the number of passengers will rise steadily in line with the airport operations moving from the Adisutjipto Airport to Yogyakarta International Airport.
Nurtjahjo noted that Citilink had yet to decide on a precise target on the number of passengers. Ramadan falls on the first week of May and is viewed as a lean season for travelers.
Citilink had earlier conducted a test flight from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the Yogyakarta International Airport on Thursday, May 3.
The Airbus A320-214 aircraft, bearing flight number QG3361, made a landing at the Yogyakarta International Airport’s runway 11 at 12:03 p.m. local time and then flew back to Jakarta at 1:40 p.m. local time.
Test flight is an operational process conducted to gauge the airline’s worthiness to operate on a new route.
Captain Agus Setiono, in the company of Captain Teguh Kristiono and Captain Muhammad Ali Imron, conducted the test flight.
A representative from the Ministry of Transportation’s Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations was also part of the test flight.
The Yogyakarta International Airport’s runway, measuring 3,250 meters in length and 45 meters in width and having 15-meter-long paved shoulders on each side, is fully ready to handle aircraft operations.
The runway is capable of accommodating wide-bodied aircraft, including the Boeing 777-300 and Airbus A380.
The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facilities at the new airport fall under category number eight.
The passenger terminal is replete with facilities, including 12 check-in counters, two x-ray machines, and a walkthrough metal detector.
Also available are 400 waiting benches, two conveyor belts, and six immigration counters at the departure and arrival halls.
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Azizah Fitriyanti, Aria Cindya
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
