Kuala Namu International Airport Hits a New Roadblock

While Indonesia’s first integrated airport is set to be operational in Sumatra in March next year, the government is grappling with a problem: it needs to acquire enough land for a 300-meter road to link Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, with the Kuala Namu International Airport. 

This was the latest hurdle surrounding the project — a railway station, toll road and airport in one location — that would become Indonesia’s second-largest airport after Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. 

The land acquisition underscores the typical problems in the development of infrastructure projects such as roads, airports and seaports in Indonesia. 

The government opted to forge ahead with the development of a regular road after postponing the construction of a toll road linking the airport and Medan due to another land acquisition problem. 

But now, development of the regular road has hit a roadblock. 

Wijaya Seta, head of the National Road Implementation Center (BBPJN) Region I at the Public Works Ministry, said that a committee is negotiating the price for the short section of land. 

“We are constructing two lanes of road for each direction. It is expected to finish in March 2013,” Wijaya said in a statement on Monday. 

Nursyirwan, a legislator at House of Representatives Commission V, which oversees transportation, public works, housing and rural development, said that he hoped the ministry, regional government and the airport operator could improve coordination to complete the project. 

“Each institution knows what their duties are,” Nursyiwan said. 

Kuala Namu International Airport is part of the government’s ambitious infrastructure development program to help create jobs, reduce poverty and maintain the nation’s rapid growth. 

The airport, which began development last year, will cost Rp 5.5 trillion ($571 million). The central government contributed Rp 3.5 trillion while Angkasa Pura II, the state airport operator, contributed the remainder of the cost. The airport will replace Polonia International Airport, whose location in the heart of Medan limits runway lengths, making takeoffs and landings difficult. 

The passenger capacity of Polonia International Airport is less than 1 million a year, while the new airport will be able to handle 8 million passengers annually. 

A 62.4-kilometer road connecting Medan with Tebing Tinggi, passing through Kuala Namu International Airport, is being tendered by the government.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/kuala-namu-international-airport-hits-a-new-roadblock/560905 

Persiapan Kereta Bandara Kualanamu

Published on Friday, 07 December 2012 15:37

PT. Railink, anak perusahaan KAI dan Angkasa Pura II, kini semakin mempersiapkan diri menjelang peresmian operasional Kereta Bandara yang direncanakan pada bulan Maret 2013.  Baru-baru ini Tim Railink bersama tim Divre 1 SUMUT NAD bersinergi dalam persiapan tersebut,  mulai dari persiapaan sarana Kereta Api, uji coba lintasan rel kereta yang baru dari Stasiun Aras Kabu ke Bandara Kualanamu hingga perekrutan dan training SDM Layanan (Customer Service On Station dan Customer Service On Train).

Tim Customer Service Railink yang baru direkrut dan menjalani Customer Service Orientation Training akhir November lalu, akan siap melayani di bulan Desember mendatang. 

tim Railink dan Divre 1 Sumut saat melakukan uji coba kereta api yang akan digunakan sementara dan lintasan baru Aras Kabu – Kualanamu, Kamis (29/11)

Skybridge yang terletak di stasiun CAT  (City Air Terminal) menghubungkan Ruang Kedatangan dengan Ruang Keberangkatan

 Rel kereta bandara telah selesai dibangun hingga Bandara Kualanamu dan pembangunan Stasiun Kereta Bandara di Kualanmu juga sudah dimulai.

http://www.kereta-api.co.id/informasi-media/berita-ka/544-persiapan-kereta-bandara-kualanamu.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

RI, Australia plan to further boost flight services next year

The governments of Indonesia and Australia are set to renew a bilateral air service agreement in February 2013, allowing carriers from both nations to increase the frequency of connections between the two countries.

The Transportation Ministry’s air transportation director general, Herry Bhakti Gumay, said the agreement would provide an additional 25,000 seats per week for flights between Indonesian and Australian destinations starting next year. 

“This agreement is going to have a huge impact for both Indonesia and Australia in the future, not only in the aviation industry, but also in tourism and trade sectors as we provide more slots for airlines,” Herry said in Jakarta on Tuesday at the ceremony held to mark the signing of the Indonesia–Australia memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the transport sector. 

“This additional service is an 80 percent increase from our existing capacity, giving a lot of room for airlines [from Indonesia and Australia] to tap into the opportunity,” he said.

Currently, air slots between the two countries stood at 31,250 seats per week, and were mostly used by national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, Australian Qantas Airways, Jetstar and Pacific Blue, in addition to several chartered carriers, he said. 

He predicted that tourism was going to be the sector that enjoyed the largest benefits from the new agreement. 

“Australians love exotic destinations like Bali and East Nusa Tenggara. Next year, we are going to host Sail Komodo, and I do believe more Australians are going to visit our country for that event,” he said. 

According to recent data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), 752,959 tourists from Down Under visited Indonesia in the first 10 months of 2012, up from 739,044 in the same period last year.

In addition, he said that more Indonesian carriers, such as Batik Air, a subsidiary of the country’s largest low-cost airline Lion Air, and Citilink Indonesia, plan to fly to Australia.

Garuda Indonesia has recently announced that it will fly to Brisbane in 2013. Apart from Australia, Indonesia is going to renew bilateral air service agreements with Middle Eastern countries as well as with Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea immediately. 

The new air service agreement with Singapore, for example, was expected to be signed in the end of December, he said.

Moreover, Australian Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Anthony Albanese said that the MoU signed on Tuesday was a testament to the strength of both nations’ relationship. He said Indonesia was one of Australia’s closest and most important neighbors, with transportation serving as a key enabler of economic growth and development between the two countries and the Asia-Pacific region.



http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/12/ri-australia-plan-further-boost-flight-services-next-year.html

Lion Air’s affiliates Batik Air and Malindo gear up for maiden services

Lion Air, Indonesia’s largest low-cost carrier will soon receive 36 new aircraft to support the operation of the company’s two new airlines, the full service Batik Air and mid-service Malindo scheduled to begin operations next year.

JAKARTA- Lion Air director Edward Sirait declared recently to the English-written daily Jakarta Post that the selected aircraft would be 30 Boeing 737-900 Extended Range (ER) with seating capacity of 177 seats in two classes, or 189 in a single-class layout. For regional flights, six ATR-72 have been selected. 

“Most of the aircraft will be operated by Malindo Airways which will commence operations in March next year to cater for the growing Southeast Asian market,” Edward Sirait declared in Jakarta on Wednesday. 

Lion Air will own a 49 percent stake of the new airline with the remaining 51 percent owned by Malaysia’s National Aerospace and Defence Industries. The airline will be based in Malaysia. 

Meanwhile, another subsidiary Batik Air flying 10 Boeing 737-900 ER planes, expects to start commercial flights in May. The new full service carrier will use six Boeing jets, connecting Jakarta to major cities in the archipelago such as Medan, Denpasar, Manado and cities throughout ASEAN. 

Batik has recently obtained its flight permit and approval to fly as many as 66 domestic and 20 international routes. Currently, the carrier is processing its Air Operator Certificate. 

In the future, Batik will use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a wide-bodied jet suitable for long-haul international routes.

“By operating Batik and Malindo, our position in Southeast Asia region will be strong and we are ready to face the ASEAN Open Sky in 2015,” Edward said.

Parent company Lion Air and feeder Wings Air will only add six Boeing 737-900 ER and four ATR-72 aircraft to their operations next year. 

“We are not adding many new aircraft to Lion and Wings because we are focusing our business on expanding Batik and Malindo in 2013, but we will connect more major cities with Lion and Wings next year,” he added. Among routes they plan to open next year are Medan–Denpasar and Balikpapan–Denpasar. 

Lion is also set to connect Balikpapan, East Kalimantan with Semarang, Central Java in the middle of December, while Wings Air is increasing flight frequency on five existing routes: Yogyakarta–Surabaya, Surabaya–Banyuwangi, Denpasar–Bima, Denpasar–Waingapu, and Denpasar–Lombok. 

On the Surabaya–Banyuwangi and Denpasar–Bima routes, Wings Air will start daily flights in mid December up from the current three times a week. 

http://www.traveldailynews.asia/news/article/51157/lion-air-rsquo-s-affiliates-batik-air 

Bandara Karawang Tampung 100 Juta Penumpang

Bandara akan dilengkapi beragam fasilitas seperti jalan tol & kereta.

VIVAnews - Pemerintah akan mengembangkan infrastruktur layanan penerbangan atau bandara di Karawang, Jawa Barat. Tak tanggung-tanggung, bandara Karawang ini akan didesain untuk mendukung kapasitas Bandara Soekarno-Hatta di Cengkareng, Tangerang.

Dirjen Perhubungan Udara Kementerian Perhubungan, Herry Bakti, mengungkapkan, bandara Karawang diharapkan mampu menampung sekitar 100 juta penumpang per tahun.

"Sama dengan Soetta, mungkin tahap pertama 30 juta penumpang, setelah itu bisa sampai 100 juta," kata Herry di Jakarta Convention Center, Senayan, Jakarta, Rabu 29 Agustus 2012.

Menurut Herry, saat ini, pembangunan bandara di Karawang masih dalam tahap pengkajian. Kendati demikian, ia meyakini pada 2015 segera dibangun pemerintah.

Tak hanya itu, dia menambahkan, ke depan, setelah bandara itu rampung dibangun, akan diperuntukkan bagi penerbangan domestik dan internasional. Selain itu, bandara akan dilengkapi beragam fasilitas seperti jalan tol dan kereta bandara. 

Bandara Alternatif Dibangun di Pinggir Pantai?

Pemerintah belum memutuskan lokasi untuk pembangunan bandara pembantu.

VIVAnews – Kementerian Perhubungan belum memutuskan lokasi untuk pembangunan bandara pembantu Soekarno-Hatta di Karawang, Jawa Barat.

Kendati demikian, bandara yang ditujukan sebagai alternatif untuk mengatasi padatnya bandara di Cengkareng ini sudah dipastikan akan dibangun di sekitar daerah Karawang.

Menteri Perhubungan, EE Mangindaan, mengatakan bahwa pihaknya tidak akan menggunakan area persawahan dan hutan yang ada di daerah Jawa Barat tersebut.

"Yang jelas, kami tidak mau itu mengganggu dan menimbulkan masalah terhadap pangan," ujar Mangindaan ketika ditemui di gedung DPR, Jakarta, Selasa 4 Desember 2012.

Seperti diketahui, Karawang merupakan daerah pertanian padi yang cukup luas di Jawa Barat. Atas dasar itu, kementerian mengungkapkan untuk mencari alternatif lain guna meletakkan bandara yang rencananya mulai dibangun pada 2015 tersebut.

"Kalau sulit mendapatkan tanah, nanti kami pindahkan saja ke pinggir pantai dan melakukan reklamasi," jelasnya.

Saat ini, menurut Mangindaan, kementerian masih membahas permasalahan ini dan diperkirakan baru selesai pada 2014, bertepatan dengan selesainya pembangunan terminal tiga bandara Soekarno-Hatta.

Pembangunan bandara di Karawang ini sebelumnya ditentang oleh Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi), karena Undang-Undang Nomor 26 Tahun 2007 tentang Penataan Ruang yang mengamanatkan kawasan lindung adalah minimal 30 persen dari total wilayah Kabupaten Karawang.

Sementara itu, berdasarkan data Dinas Kehutanan Jawa Barat, luas hutan negara sebagai kawasan lindung yang tersedia hanya sekitar 15.865 hektare atau sekitar 9,05 persen dari total luasan wilayah Kabupaten Karawang.

Padahal, seharusnya kawasan lindung yang tersedia minimal 52.598 hektare. Alih-alih mempunyai cukup kawasan lindung, Kabupaten Karawang saat ini malah masih kekurangan sekitar 38 ribu hektare kawasan lindung.

Child born on Qatar Airways flight

Qatari national went into labor mid-flight

Karachi: A Qatar Airways plane landed at Karachi airport after a child was born on the flight while flying over the Pakistan air zone, aviation sources said. The Qatar Airways flight number 833 was flying from Seoul to Qatar when a woman, who is a Qatari national, felt severe labour pains. Local aviation sources said that emergency landing became imminent and it was permitted to land at Quide-e- Azam International Airport so that maternity care could be taken of the mother and child.

They said the woman and child were doing fine and were shifted to a hospital after they were disembarked from the flight.

Pemerintah Siapkan Tujuh Lokasi Bandara Baru

VIVAnews - Kementerian Perhubungan mengaku telah menyiapkan tujuh lokasi alternatif untuk pembangunan bandara baru. Bandara ini nantinya akan berfungsi sebagai penopang Bandara Soekarno-Hatta yang sudah mulai padat seiring dengan perkembangan industri penerbangan Tanah Air.

Wakil Menteri Perhubungan, Bambang Susantono, mengatakan, pihaknya saat ini sedang melakukan studi lokasi mengenai lokasi bandara alternatif yang rencananya mulai dibangun pada 2015.

"Sampai saat ini sudah ada tujuh lokasi alternatif yang kami pelajari," ujar Bambang kepada VIVAnews di Jakarta, Senin 10 Desember 2012.

Bambang enggan membeberkan detail tujuh lokasi tersebut. Namun, dari ketujuh lokasi tersebut, tiga di antaranya terletak di Karawang, sedangkan empat lokasi berada di daerah pinggiran Jakarta.

Bambang tidak menampik salah satu rencana bandara baru berada di tepi pantai dengan cara reklamasi. "Kalau sudah tidak ada lagi pilihan, maka opsi itu akan kami ambil," kata mantan ketua Masyarakat Transportasi Indonesia (MTI) itu.

Sebelumnya, Menteri Perhubungan, EE Mangindaan, menjelaskan pemerintah tidak akan menggunakan area persawahan dan hutan yang ada di Jawa Barat, sehingga salah satu alternatifnya adalah di pinggir pantai dengan cara reklamasi.

Jet Airways could convert 787-8s on order to -9s

Indian carrier Jet Airways could convert its orders for the Boeing 787-8s to the larger -9 variant.

The carrier's 10 -8s on order are scheduled to be delivered starting 2014, Dinesh Keskar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' senior vice-president of Asia-Pacific and India sales, tells Flightglobal.

The carrier is, however, considering converting the order to the larger -9s, he says.

"If they do that, there will be a delay. The -9s, however, have better economics for them, so now they are looking at their portfolio," adds Keskar.

Besides the 10 -8s on firm order, Jet also has options for an additional 10 aircraft of the same type.

Over the years, several carriers including Air China, Vietnam Airlines and All Nippon Airways have converted orders for the -8s to the -9s.

The -9 is due to enter flight test in 2013, followed by entry into service in early 2014.

Happy 12-12-12

Happy triple twelve (12-12-12). have a great & nice day!

BA to have 469-seat A380s and 214-seat 787-8s

British Airways has revealed that its Airbus A380s will have a four-class layout with 469 seats, comprising 212 on the upper deck and 257 on the lower.

It has also disclosed that its Boeing 787-8s will be fitted with 214 seats in three classes.

But the carrier has yet to identify the routes on which the jets will be deployed. The initial destinations will be unveiled in spring 2013.

View full size seat plan

The A380s will have 14 first-class seats and 44 business-class seats on the main deck, plus 199 seats in the economy cabin.

It will feature a premium-economy section, but no first-class cabin, on the upper deck which will be configured with 53 business-class, 55 premium-economy and 104 economy seats.

Four 787s will be delivered to the carrier next year, the first arriving in May. BA will introduce its first A380 in July, with two more delivered in August and October.

View full size seat plan

It will also take two more Boeing 777-300ERs during September-October 2013.

BA will equip its new aircraft with a Thales in-flight entertainment system, while in-seat power will be available in all cabins.

Twelve A380s are on order for the airline as well as 24 787s, of which eight will be -8s. BA has yet to disclose the planned layout of the 16 larger 787-9s. "They could have three- or four-cabin configurations," it says.

Maret 2013, Bandara Internasional Kualanamu Medan Beroperasi

Desember ini, proyek fisik sudah selesai. Bisa beroperasi Maret

VIVAnews - PT Angkasa Pura mempercayakan penyelesaian pembangunan Bandara Kualanamu dan Bandara Juanda kepada PT Waskita Karya. Bandara Kualanamu yang akan menggantikan Bandara Polonia, Medan, ini ditargetkan bisa beroperasi pada Maret 2013.

PT Waskita Karya dipercayakan sebagai kontraktor dalam pengerjaan proyek pembangunan Bandara Internasional Kualanamu Medan dengan nilai kontrak sebesar Rp394 miliar dan Bandara Internasional Juanda Surabaya sebesar Rp388 miliar. Waskita Karya optimistis pengerjaan Bandara Internasional Kualanamu Medan selesai Desember 2012 sehingga dapat dioperasikan pada tahun 2013. Begitu pula dengan pembangunan terminal selatan Bandara Juanda tersebut, Waskita karya menargetkan akan menyelesaikan proyek ini pada November 2013.

Untuk diketahui, saat ini proses pembangunan Bandara Kualanamu telah mencapai 84% sedangkan untuk penyelesaian Bandara Internasional Juanda telah mencapai 46% dari target sebelumnya 17%.

“Kami yakin bahwa proyek pembangunan yang dilakukan untuk Bandara Kualanamu dan Bandara Juanda akan selesai sesuai atau bahkan lebih cepat dari target yang telah ditentukan sebelumnya," kata Direktur Utama Waskita Karya, M. Choliq. "Saya sangat puas akan kinerja yang dihasilkan oleh tim kami dan tentunya kami berharap kedua proyek ini akan selesai lebih cepat agar masyarakat dapat segera menikmati manfaatnya."

Di Kualanamu, Waskita Karya melakukan Pekerjaan Tanah Tahap III, Perbaikan Tanah dan Aeronautical Pavement Runway (Paket-4) sepanjang 3.750 meter. Dalam  proyek pembangunan Bandar Udara Internasional Juanda, salah satu kontraktor terbesar milik negara ini dipercayakan oleh PT Angkasa Pura I untuk melakukan proyek design and buildterminal selatan Bandara Internasional Juanda Surabaya. 

Kedua proyek pembangunan bandara internasional ini dalam rangka meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan di seluruh bandara. PT. Angkasa Pura II menargetkan Bandara Internasional Kualanamu sebagai bandara transit internasional agar dapat memberikan kemudahan kepada masyarakat yang ingin melakukan penerbangan luar negeri. Lebih lanjut, bandara internasional ini diharapkan akan membawa dampak ekonomi yang besar bagi daerah karena meningkatnya arus pergerakan penumpang di daerah ini.

“Saya optimistis Bandara Kualanamu ini dapat beroperasi tepat waktu pada Maret 2013," kata Gatot Pujo Nugroho, Pelaksana Tugas Gubernur Sumatera Utara. "Bayangkan kalau ini sudah beroperasi, warga sekitar juga akan menikmati dampak kemajuannya, oleh karena itu mari sama–sama wujudkan agar Bandara Kualanamu dapat beroperasi tepat waktu dan tanpa kendala," kata Gatot.

Sedangkan proyek pengembangan Bandara Internasional Juanda Surabaya sendiri diakui oleh Direktur PT. Angkasa Pura, Tommy Soetomo, sebagai solusi terhadap kepadatan Bandara Internasional Juanda yang telah melebihi kapasitas sesungguhnya. Pertumbuhan jumlah penumpang angkutan udara di Bandara Internasional Juanda merupakan faktor pemicu kepadatan yang terjadi. 

Peningkatan arus penumpang menjadi 12 juta pada bulan 2012. Hal ini mengakibatkan kapasitas Bandara Internasional Juanda yang hanya mencapai 6,5 juta per tahun tidak mampu menampung peningkatan arus penumpang yang terjadi. “Bandara Juanda yang kita kenal sekarang hanya mampu untuk menampung 6,5 juta penumpang per tahun, sedangkan jumlah penumpang per tahunnya mencapai 11 hingga 12 juta orang, oleh karena itu kami harapkan pembangunan bandara Juanda terminal selatan ini bisa tepat waktu dan tepat budget,” kata Tommy Soetomo, Direktur PT. Angkasa Pura.