"I am very happy that finally we officially launched the first flight in Kertajati," Sumadi remarked here on Sunday.
The Kertajati Airport serves seven domestic routes, namely Makassar, Denpasar, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Kualanamu, Batam, and Palembang.
All commercial flights from the Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung have been moved to the Kertajati Airport, he said.
According to the ministry's calculations, the average number of passengers flying from and to Kertajati is estimated to reach 2,000 people. Sumadi is optimistic that the number can increase because public interest in using the airport is relatively high.
"West Java has a huge population (including in) Bandung, Cirebon, Sumedang, and so on. So the potential to travel is high," the minister said.
He urged West Java residents to choose to fly from Kertajati Airport to their destination instead of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, which could take 4-5 hours to reach from Bandung.
He assessed that Kertajati Airport has better infrastructure than the Husein Sastranegara Airport because it has a 3,000-meter runway that makes it easy for large aircraft to land.
Meanwhile, the Husein Sastranegara Airport only has a 2,300-meter runway, which disallows a more massive commercial flight operation.
In addition, he said that the presence of Kertajati Airport can boost economic growth in the surrounding areas such as Cirebon and other districts.
"There is a moral obligation to build West Java through Kertajati Airport, and we know that it is only 45 km from the Patimban Port, the second largest port after Tanjung Priok. West Java has a mandate to enlarge Kertajati," he said.
He added that the Kertajati Airport is connected to the Cisumdawu Toll Road which cuts travel time between Bandung and Kertajati Airport.
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Translator: Fathur R, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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