Angkasa Pura, Schiphol set up join venture

JAKARTA (JP): PT Angkasa Pura II, a state-owned firm managing nine airports in Indonesia's western provinces, and Schiphol Airport of the Netherlands have set up a joint venture firm here to provide consultancy on airport management.

Angkasa Pura II's president, Chusjairi, said in a hearing with members of the House of Representatives here yesterday that the new company, called PT Angkasa Pura Schiphol, was set up with an investment of US$3 million.

"The new company, licensed by the Investment Coordinating Board last March, is equally owned by Angkasa Pura II and Schiphol," he said. "The new company, to be based in Jakarta, will provide consultancy on aircraft ground handling, human resources training, terminal and airport designing consultancy."

He said the new firm would soon start operation.

Angkasa Pura II currently manages nine airports, including Iskandarmuda airport in Banda Aceh of Aceh, Simpang Tiga airport in Pekanbaru, Riau, Husein Sastranegara airport in Bandung of West Java, Supadio airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, SM Badaruddin in Bandar Lampung and Tabing in Padang, West Sumatra.

The other three airports managed by the company are Soekarno- Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta and Polonia airport in Medan, North Sumatra.

Another state-owned company, PT Angkasa Pura I, manages 12 airports, while about 140 other airports in the country are managed by the government.

"Only three airports, two in Jakarta and one in Medan, provide profits for Angkasa Pura II," Chusjairi said.

He told House members yesterday that his company, which last year made profits of Rp 100 million ($42.5 million), expects to make Rp 120 billion in 1996.

He said that in the coming years, Angkasa Pura II is likely to gain additional revenues of between Rp 2.5 billion and Rp 3 billion per year after getting involved in the development of infrastructure for the Indonesia Air Show 1996.

"We have spent Rp 8.6 billion to build the exhibition hall and pavilion as well as the press center for the event. As there will be a biannual air show and other prospective exhibitions in the area, we believe we will net more revenue."

Chusjairi said that in cooperation with private firms, his company would also develop several projects in the area around Soekarno-Hatta airport under joint operation or under build, operate and transfer arrangements.

Among the planned projects are a shopping mall and golf course which will be developed by PT Dewata Agung, a private company owned by Hendra Liem, an air cargo transshipment venture which will be developed by PT IIDM Corporation, a company owned by Kenneth Hidayat.

Other proposed projects include in-flight catering to be provided by PT Pangansari Mitra Angkasa, a private firm controlled by Mohammad "Bob" Hasan, an industrial zone to be developed by PT Repindo Grahanusa Sejati, a private firm owned by Tareq Habibie, and a transit hotel to be developed by PT Angkasa Dwipanusa, a company which is controlled by Alex Pupella.

Meanwhile, the president of Angkasa Pura I, Fachri Zainuddin, said that his company had proposed cooperating with foreign firms to the Ministry of Transportation.

He said that his company proposed to ask the British Airport Authority to develop and manage Ngurah Rai airport in Bali and the Bracknell Airport Development Corporation of Canada to expand Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java. (icn)