Budiarto air base fits bill as air cargo hub
Budiarto air base fits bill as air cargo hub
Multa Fidrus
The Jakarta Post/Tangerang
It seems that Tangerang regental administration may have to let
go its dream of having its own commercial airport in Curug
district, as the central government prefers to transform the
existing Budiarto air base into a air cargo hub and flight
maintenance area.
Air base chief Budi Kuncoro said on Friday that the Ministry
of Transportation had conducted a study into the feasibility of
the air base following the Tangerang administration's request to
transform it into a commercial airport earlier this year.
"The results say that, technically, it will be hard to arrange
air traffic systems for two commercial airports all at once since
the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is only some 10
kilometers north of the airbase," he told the press.
The air base was built in 1952 to support the establishment of
the Indonesian State Aviation School (STPI), once the largest
aviation school in Southeast Asia that has graduated some 3,000
pilots to date.
STPI, which is under the auspices of the transportation
ministry, offers four majors including aircraft technology,
airport navigation, airport building maintenance, as well as
airport runway supervision.
Since the air base is only operated as a Flight Training
Center for STPI students, local regent Ismet Iskandar planned to
transform it into a commercial airport in an effort to assist the
school.
Besides that, Ismet is also looking for a good location to
build a haj dormitory for the Banten provincial administration.
"We are focusing on the existing master plan for aviation
education and then the rest of the air base land can be used for
commercial cargo and aircrew maintenance," Kuncoro concluded.
He said that in an attempt to disseminate information about
the master plan, he would invite Tangerang regental
administration officials and public figures to give input and to
take part in the development of the air base.
"The air base will certainly boost economic growth for
residents living in the area," he added.
He said that the Tangerang regental administration was
expected to upgrade road access to the 400-hectare air base to
support the development plan.