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Bandung, West Java – Indonesia’s state-owned airport services company, PT Angkasa Pura II, expects the Husein Sastranegara airport in Bandung, West Java, to start handling international flights from Bandung to cities in China or Bandung to Bangkok (Thailand) in 2017.
“The airport expansion project will be completed by the end of 2016. The new terminal will handle international flights. Among the potential markets is Bangkok or Phuket,” Angkasa Pura II”s general manager Dorma Manalu said here on Wednesday.
He added that the number of international direct flights from Bangkok and China to Indonesia has been increasing.
“Currently, the international flights from China are mostly to Manado, North Sulawesi and Pontianak, West Kalimantan,” Dorma noted.
According to him, nearly a 100 million Chinese tourists are visiting Indonesia every year, reflecting a good opportunity for Angkasa Pura II to start direct flights from Bandung to China or Thailand.
So far, direct international flights from Husein Sastranegara airport are for Bandung-Singapore, Bandung-Kuala Lumpur and Bandung-Johor Baharu (Malaysia).
“These are far fewer as of now, considering that the airport is now being expanded. Also, the airport is not too far from Bandung downtown,” Dorma explained.
Earlier, the management representatives of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) visited Kertajati international airport in Majalengka, West Java.
The President Director of the airport, Virda Dimas, explained that the Chinese corporation management was interested in Indonesia’s aviation industry and wants to confirm its plans to open international flights from the country to Kertajati since there is a fairly large Chinese market.
