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.