Should International Airports in Indonesia reduced?

Airports are among the main entrances to the territory of a sovereign state, as well as functioning as an infrastructure for interregional transportation in the country. For this reason, airports are classified as vital objects (regulated by Presidential Decree No. 63 of 2004 concerning The Security of National Vital Objects) whose existence supports economic, social, defense, and state security. The existence of an airport must be able to support the economic growth of a nation.

 As the airport regulator, the Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation is responsible for all airport regulations, including air transportation modes and airspace located in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Building an airport should not be built to satisfy regional politics, but it should also be based on national needs, including its number and location.

The basis for the regulation of aviation issues as a whole has been regulated in Law No. 1 of 2009 concerning Aviation and its derivative regulations. Related to airports is regulated in several Government Regulations and Regulations of the Minister of Transportation, including Permenhub No.33 of 2021 concerning Business Activities at Airports and Permenhub No. 39 of 2019 concerning the National Airport Order.

The uproar that the government will reduce the number of international airports in Indonesia from 32 to 15, which is currently being discussed, is a necessity that must be done.  oversupply of international airports in Indonesia which is actually detrimental in terms of economy, social, and security. To that end let's re-discuss the government's plan, although this is a late response.

Currently, according to data from the Ministry of Transportation website, there are 32 airports whose status is International Airport. A very jumbo amount and indeed needs to be done immediately smart structuring. The statement of Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir at the Mandiri Investment Forum that the government will reduce the number of international airports from 32 to 15 airports according to the President's order is correct, although it is not yet correct. Why? Fifteen airports are still too many.

Since the early 2000s, the government's policy of opening as many international airports as possible in order to increase the number of tourist visits has proven to be a detrimental policy, especially for domestic airlines due to the emergence of flight "hubs" to Indonesia at Changi Airport in Singapore or KLIA Airport in Malaysia or in some Middle Eastern countries.


As a result, the revenue of domestic airlines has been eroded, apart from the pandemic, there is ASEAN Open Sky, where foreign airlines can fly point to point at 32 international airports and all of these airports become Port of Entry (POE) to Indonesia. Local airlines are only spectators in the handling of foreign tourists.


The function of the International Airport is as an entrance to the territory of Indonesia. But that doesn't mean that the more international airports there will automatically be more tourists coming. What is clear is that the more International Airports, the more operating and maintenance costs will also swell.

Airport Facilities at Soekarno - Hatta International Airport.

Based on airport data in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, at that time there were 32 airports with international status spread throughout Indonesia. However, there are nine who have not (anymore) been stopped by international scheduled flights in the past few years. They are Sabang, Tanjung Pinang, Lampung, Kertajati, Ambon, Jayapura, Biak, Merauke, and Kupang. Due to the pandemic, it could be that the suspended international airports are increasing.

From the data above, in addition there are eight international airports that only serve flights to and from Singapore (SIN) and/or Malaysia (KUL), namely Tanjung Pandan (KUL), Husein Sastranegara-Bandung (SIN and KUL), Achmad Yani-Semarang (SIN and KUL), Adi Sucipto-Yogyakarta (SIN and KUL), Blimbingan-Banyuwangi (KUL), Lombok Praya (SIN and KUL), Sultan Hasanudin-Makassar (SIN and KUL), and Halim Perdanakusuma-Jakarta (SIN).

Then, there is one international airport that only serves flights to and from Medina and Jedah, namely Adi Soemarmo-Solo. The remaining fourteen (14) airports have international status and serve international flights with multi-destination and multi-airline, including Soekarno-Hatta, Cengkareng. These data (2019) have certainly changed; the number of International Airports still operating is definitely shrinking as well.

 The tourists can use Singapore Airline (SQ) or Malaysia Airline (MH) directly from Europe to Jogja/Solo with a stopover in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur. Then from Changi/KLIA fly with Silk Air or Air Asia, do not fly with domestic airlines to Jogja/Solo because the airports in both cities are already international

The tourists can use Singapore Airline (SQ) or Malaysia Airline (MH) directly from Europe to Jogja/Solo with a stopover in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur. Then from Changi/KLIA fly with Silk Air or Air Asia, do not fly with domestic airlines to Jogja/Solo because the airports in both cities are already international

Similarly, Indonesians who are going abroad must use foreign airlines that already have routes to various cities in Indonesia. Cheaper, better service and more prestigious. Domestic airlines?

One of the reasons GA flights from Amsterdam are quiet and do not fly every day is the large number of international airports in Indonesia so that they are not competing with foreign airlines from Europe / US / Japan and others that can enter directly to several international airports through SIN or KUL or Dubai and others.

One of the reasons GA flights from Amsterdam are quiet and do not fly every day is the large number of international airports in Indonesia so that they are not competing with foreign airlines from Europe / US / Japan and others that can enter directly to several international airports through SIN or KUL or Dubai and others.

Government Steps

To maintain the Republic of Indonesia and budget efficiency, it is better for the Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation to discuss directly with local governments and local parliaments that are not optimally operating their airports, so that international status is revoked and returned to ordinary domestic airports. The motto of more and more International Airports will further increase foreign tourists has not been proven. There are domestic airlines dead or semaput

So for now, Indonesia should be served enough by nine (9) not fifteen (15) International Airports as POE alone representing Indonesian territory. They are Kualanamu-Deli Serdang, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II-Palembang, Soekarno Hatta-Cengkareng, Yogyakarta, Juanda-Surabaya, Ngurah Rai- Bali, Balikpapan / IKN, Sam Ratulangi-Menado, and Sultan Hasanudin-Makassar.

Flight connectivity from POE to other cities in Indonesia must be carried out by domestic airlines for the survival of the airline and the welfare of the people, as well as avoiding sabotage in Indonesian airspace.

Source : Pembatasan Jumlah Bandara Internasional (detik.com)  by Agus Pambagio observer of public policy and consumer protection








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