Jakarta's airport worryingly outdated

[milehighj]

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Jakarta's airport worryingly outdated

The airport's radar shut down for at least 30 minutes at 9am on Sunday. -The Jakarta Post/ANN

Tue, Aug 31, 2010
The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network

THE ever-growing number of air travellers, along with outdated equipment, is taking its toll on Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, leading to technical glitches that occur with increasing and worrying frequency, as well as packed terminals.

Following incidents of non-operating phone lines and a string of blackouts, the airport's radar shut down for at least 30 minutes at 9am on Sunday.

Suddenly, the city's notorious traffic snarls were no longer just on the streets but also up in the air, with nine aircraft forced to hold for 20 minutes. On the runways, 15 aircraft had to queue for take-off.

National Transportation Safety Commission chairman Tatang Kurniadi said the airport operator was playing a dangerous game with its reluctance to maintain and update equipment. "There should be no excuse for technical failures because it has standard procedures to prevent these sorts of incidents from affecting service and safety," he said.


http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%...31-234757.html

[UMD]

This airport should have been privatized and run by professionals since long time ago but those monkeys in the parliament were always using the "national interests" excuse to prevent it from happening.

CGK is actually making money every year and its traffic is also getting healthier and healthier each year as well. However, judging by the condition of the airport and the half hearted efforts to expand or to renovate the airport, you can tell that whoever in charge is not very capable.

It is sad indeed especially for such a beautiful airport like CGK.

[Aulia Harun]

It is sad indeed especially for such a beautiful airport like CGK.

I agree with you on this. I go to CGK annually and normally my flights would be from SIN (if flying SQ) or KUL (if flying MH or EK), and you can pretty much feel the difference when you step out of a nice airport like KUL and SIN and step inside of CGK. Indeed the exterior of CGK is unique as an airline pilot once said "has a unique resort-look to it".

What bothers me even more is when you step out of the terminal and while you wait for your loved ones/taxi to pick you up, there would be young boys walking around begging for money or even dig and scavenge the trash bins. It is sad indeed and make me shameful since I'm Indonesian. Only a proper management team would be able to take care of the airport perimeter and also work on areas like the immigration lines and renovating the lounges.

[B727]

As someone who's been through all three of Jakarta's airports through the decades (including the one originally designated JKT, though not including PCB ), there is a certain charm to landing at CGK with its beautiful Djoglo-style architecture and the bazaar-like atmosphere that greets the traveler upon exiting the doors.

Sure the airport is getting busier every day and there are cracks in the system, but we have also witnessed improvements over the last couple of decades. Admittedly, there is always room for more improvement, but the feeling like you've stepped off Aladdin's magic carpet ride straight into a Southeast Asian tropical market still persists

[scooby5]

I like the airport itself, the layout and generally the facilities.

I like the idea of the gates leading off like legs from the body and yes, the resort type styling. True it is beginning to age, the arrivals from Immigration and Baggage is a bit dull and walking into the arrivals hall definately is like stepping back in time though BKK is the same, crowds of people and no clear indication of where to go.

Generally the feeling is just a little tight and dull but overall not so bad.

Behind the scenes is a different story but that should be continually sorted.

[B727]

though BKK is the same

Yes, Suvarnabhumi has somewhat of a similar feel--bazaar-like (or should I say Jatujak-like ) which I love. It's like stepping off the plane into an Alex Garland novel

Sure, I avoided Suvarnabhumi during its "soft" opening days when there were reportedly cracks on the taxiway and a chronic baggage delivery problem. Although I've learned that baggage delivery problems can also happen to the best of airports. An incident in March of last year comes to mind when, arriving in SIN T3 on an A380 from Sydney, they rolled out Y bags first, followed by J, and Suites bags last (horrors!)

I could just hear Kylie Minogue singing "What Kind of Fool" in my head

[UMD]

It is even more worrying now because CGK is now the busiest airport in Southeast Asia at least up to September 2010. I read in the local newspaper yesterday that the government (based on the study and recommendation by Japan International Corporation Agency) is now considering an option of building a new airport for Jakarta or urgently expanding the current airport by adding 1 or 2 more runways plus starting the work to complete T3 and T4. Whatever the option is the government should move fast. Unfortunately, prompt action is not and has not been the trademark of Indonesian government.

The drawback of building a new airport is that the 2 locations being surveyed are about 70 km to the East and 80 km to the West from the city. With the traffic condition in and around Jakarta, arriving into the city by plane then followed by a 70 to 80 km drive will be an excruciating experience if the government do not build a proper rail link to the city.

[SilverChris]

What CGK desperately needs is a new terminal if not a new airport altogether.