The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport often referred to as the Cengkareng Airport and named after the first Indonesian president is the primary airport serving the greater metropolitan area of Jakarta on the island of Java, Indonesia.
Although serving most of Jakarta, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport it is located in the city of Tangerang in the neighboring province of Banten, Indonesia, 12 miles west of the capital city. The airport which was built as a replacement for the former Kemayoran Airport in Central Jakarta which was used for domestic flights and the Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in East Jakarta, first began its operations in 1985.
Facts about the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
- The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s terminal 1 and 2 were designed by the French architect Paul Andreu who also designed the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. One of the notable features of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is the incorporation of local architecture into the design which can be seen in the presence of tropical gardens located in-between the waiting lounges of the airport. This unique feature which has often resulted in the airport to be described as the “garden airport” earned the the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1995.
- Terminal 1 which is used for domestic flights is located on the south side of the airport completed in 1985 consists of three sub-terminals, each equipped with 7 gates, 5 baggage carousels and 25 check-in counters and has the capacity to handle 9 million passengers. Terminal 2 which was completed in 1991 and located on the northern side of the airport is primarily used for international flights as well as domestic flights of Merpati Airlines and Garuda Indonesia. Terminal 2 much like Terminal 1 also consists of three sub-terminals also equipped with 7 gates, 5 baggage carousels and 25 check-in counters and is also designed to handle 9 million passengers annually.
- The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3 located on the eastern side of the airport and designed using modern eco-friendly design was first opened on April 2009. Terminal 3 which consists of the first of two planned piers and a capacity of 4 million passengers per annum is equipped with 3 gates, 6 baggage carousels, 30 check-in counters, and two jet bridges.
- The freight terminal which is located on the east side of Terminal 1 is used to handle both international and domestic cargo and is scheduled to be relocated to the west side of Terminal 2 to house a larger capacity than the current terminal.
- Compared to the London Heathrow Airport which similarly has two runways and can handle 100 flights per hour, it is expected that by 2015 the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be able to handle at least 92 flights per hour.
- The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport houses two hotels, the Jakarta Airport Hotel which located on the upper floor of Terminal 2 and the Sheraton Airport Hotel consisting of 4 floors and 220 guest rooms and is located on the left side of the main exit road of the airport. Notably the Jakarta Airport Hotel was closed as of December 2013 with no scheduled date for reopening.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Media