Starting November, Kertajati Airport is ready to serve commercial flights and Umrah flights as well
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The aviation industry, which has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, is starting to bounce back, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Transportation Ministry has said.

"The pandemic had caused significant harm in the aviation industry, including the decreased number of passengers and cargo. Now, the industry has bounced back," the ministry's acting Director General of Civil Aviation Nur Isnin Istiartono said here on Tuesday.



According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global aviation industry has started to show improvement.



In June 2022, domestic and international flight traffic reached an average of 70 percent compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019, he informed.



Specifically, domestic flight traffic reached 81 percent and international flight traffic reached 65 percent.



According to him, the decline in passengers during the pandemic took place in line with restrictions on community mobility, which were aimed at maintaining the health protocols. The pandemic led a number of airlines to reduce their fleet and close routes to reduce operational costs.



For example, before the pandemic, Kertajati Airport in Majalengka district, West Java, was operating several flights that had to be closed due to the pandemic. During the pandemic, the airport only served cargo flights, Istiartono disclosed.



"Starting November, Kertajati Airport is ready to serve commercial flights and Umrah flights as well," he added.


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He further informed that the directorate general will continue to strive to help airlines re-open flight routes to and from Kertajati Airport.



Further, the plan for the operationalization of the Cisumdawu (Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan) toll road in October 2022 will greatly assist in faster recovery at Kertajati Airport since the toll road cuts travel time from Bandung to Kertajati Airport to just one hour.



Meanwhile, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta has also started serving commercial flights following its revitalization, which was aimed at maintaining flight safety and preparing for the Indonesian G20 Presidency’s events.



Several small airports in Java are also starting to recover, including Ngloram Airport in Blora, General Sudirman Airport in Purbalingga, and Wiriadinata Airport in Tasikmalaya.

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Istiartono said that it will take time for the aviation sector to return to its pre-pandemic state, as currently, the number of aircraft is still very limited.



Currently, the number of ready-to-operate aircraft is only 55 percent to 60 percent of the number in 2019, that is, before the pandemic struck, he added.



Nevertheless, Istiartono said he is confident that with good cooperation and collaboration between the relevant ministries and institutions and the involvement of local governments and aviation stakeholders, the recovery effort will run well.



"We continue to recover the aviation sector. We want the airport to be busy again with more routes to open. Let us make it happen," he emphasized.


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Translator: Adimas Raditya F P, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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