Kertajati Airport MRO hub targeted to begin operations in 2026

Prasetyo said the government is completing several preparatory steps, including the transfer of Kertajati Airport’s assets and management from the West Java provincial government to the central government.

“The process is underway. We want to complete it as soon as possible, but everything takes time. It also involves the transfer of assets currently owned by the West Java provincial government, with their management to be handed over to the central government,” he said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He explained that developing Kertajati into an MRO hub is part of the government’s effort to optimize airport infrastructure to generate greater economic benefits.

The government aims to begin operations at the facility this year. According to Prasetyo, several scenarios have been prepared to increase activity at Kertajati Airport, including using it as a hajj embarkation point and as an aircraft maintenance center.

He expressed confidence that optimizing Kertajati Airport would generate a multiplier effect for the economies of surrounding communities.

“We want to optimize the assets we have built so they can deliver greater benefits. We believe that once Kertajati becomes fully operational, the local economic ecosystem will grow, and the multiplier effect will naturally follow,” he said.

He added that the MRO facility at Kertajati will serve not only defense-related needs but also the civil aviation sector.

Prasetyo said Kertajati Airport has a strategic location and vast area that make it well suited to support multiple functions while serving as one of Indonesia’s national aviation hubs.

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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo