Make airport more pleasant

Make airport more pleasant

I'd like to add some comments with regard to the complaint in
The Jakarta Post on Nov. 8, 2001 on Soekarno-Hatta airport.

On Nov. 7 I arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport from Singapore
with my family. I was holding my 14-month old son in one hand,
carrying a 15 kg backpack on my back and a 10 kg bag across my
body. I was accompanied by my three-months-pregnant wife. I had
my watch stolen amidst the jostling that accompanies arriving
passengers accosted for taxi services. Yes, the airport does
resemble a bus terminal. It's also a shame that the international
airport for Indonesia does not greet its new arrivals with the
most reputable, clean and honest taxis, but rather often with
dirty taxis.

Queuing for immigration clearance took me a good 20 minutes
and waiting for my baggage an extra 10 on top. What a difference
to Changi, where it is clean, efficient, without waits for
immigration or baggage or people hassling people upon arrival.

The sad thing is that this is not just a one-off experience:
it is the norm. Once, when I went through this airport I was
asked, or rather told, to pay "additional" money to an
immigration officer for having a passport that was not valid for
more than six months, although mine had about eight months still
to run!

I love Indonesia. Shouldn't something be done to make the
airport a showcase of Indonesian hospitality rather than a blight
on the country?

MARK OGILVIE

Jakarta