Angkasa Pura II Explains Strategies to Recover Flight Industry

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Director of airport operator company PT Angkasa Pura II Muhammad Awaluddin, said that the company will apply four strategies to recover the flight industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Awaluddin, the process, which will involve various stakeholders will commence on July 2020.

"This month we will focus on the recovery of flight traffic to support Indonesia's economic activity. The focus of the recovery in the early phase is domestic routes to strengthen connectivity between cities in Indonesia," Awaluddin said in a written statement on Saturday, July 4, 2020.

The first strategy is the company will optimize flight slots up to 30 percent. Awaluddin set an example that if the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has a total of 1,100 flight schedules in one day, he will target to schedule 330 flights.

These numbers is projected to increase along with the new normal implementation. Previosuly during the homecoming ban period, Angkasa Pura II can only utilize 10 to 20 percent of the total flight slots.

The second strategy is to reactivate flight routes along with increasing demands, which will increase airplane utilization. As for the third strategy, Angkasa Pura II will provide alternatives for active routes.

For example, Awaluddin said that Citilink Indonesia has 68 to 100 flights per day on June 2020, and it has been increased to 168 flights on July 2020. The airline has set a target to increase flight frequency up to 200 flights until the fourth quarter of 2020.

The fourth startegy is to normalize airport operational hours. Currently, Awaluddin ensured that the company has restored airport operational hours to before the pandemic. "This is to increase airport readiness, following the increasing flight traffic and optimization of slot time, reactivation of flight routes, and increasing frequency in each routes," Awaluddin said.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA