Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that the decision is aimed at anticipating any surge in international passengers and alleviating congestion at the airport's Terminal 3, which was earlier the only terminal serving international flights.
"We will re-balance Terminal 3 with Terminal 2F to be exact, hence, international flights would not depend only on Terminal 3," Sumadi informed at the Presidential Palace complex here on Monday.
With the redistribution of terminals serving international flights, Umrah flights can now also be operated from Terminal 2F, he added.
To accommodate Umrah travelers at the two terminals, the ministry will open new lounges where the passengers can wait for their flights with relatives who have accompanied them to the airport, he said.
Moreover, Sumadi affirmed that besides redistributing the allocation of flights at terminals, the ministry and airport operator Angkasa Pura II (AP II) will optimize the airport's third runway to increase its capacity and shorten take-off and waiting time.
"We need to optimize the third runway to improve aircraft capacity and waiting time. We also ask AP II and relevant authorities to improve ground handling, which has sometimes caused flight delays," the minister said.
The decision to readjust services at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was made based on President Joko Widodo's instructions to increase flight slots to anticipate a surge in domestic and international tourists, he informed.
At present, domestic flight services have recovered by 71 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is operating 1,040-1,050 flights daily, or equal to 90 percent of its capacity.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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