Govt to transfer management of airports to regions
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In the spirit of decentralization, the government will transfer the management of airports currently not managed by state-owned airport operators PT Angkasa Pura (AP) I and II to regional administrations, a Ministry of Communications senior official has said.
Director general of Air Transportation Soenaryo said on Monday that a newly issued governmental decree on airport management would be the basis for the transfer, and that it would be further strengthened by the revision of the 1992 law on air transportation.
"At present regional administrations are welcome to manage airports in their area, but please note that this does not include air traffic services," he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on the proposed revision of the 1992 law on air transportation.
Soenaryo said that air traffic services could not be handed over to regional administrations as they involved an international agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
According to the proposed revision of the 1992 law, air navigation services could be carried out by a state-owned company especially established for that purpose, or a single air traffic service provider.
Some 161 general airports would be offered to regional administrations including the ones in Palu, Central Sulawesi; Jambi; Tanjung Karang, Lampung; Bengkulu; Bangka; Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan and Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi.
Regional administrations could also stake a claim in airports operated by the two state-owned airport operators, Soenaryo said, but those airports were regulated by the law for state-owned enterprises.
"They can stake a claim in airports operated by AP I and II, but the government has a separate regulation for them under the law for state-owned enterprises," he said.
Angkasa Pura I manages 12 airports in the central and eastern regions of Indonesia, including Ngurah Rai international airport, Bali; Juanda international airport, Surabaya, East Java; Hasanuddin international airport, Makassar, South Sulawesi and Selaparang international airport, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.
Angkasa Pura II manages 8 airports in Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan, including Soekarno-Hatta international airport, Jakarta; Polonia international airport, Medan, North Sumatra; Sultan Iskandar Muda, Banda Aceh, Aceh and Tabing international airport, Padang, West Sumatra.
However, Soenaryo said that so far no regional administrations had shown interest in managing their own airport.
"They know that it's difficult and doesn't bring in much revenue," he said.