Indonesia promotes six hub airports to boost ASEAN-China connectivity

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, operating under the InJourney Airports brand, is promoting six regional airports to strengthen connectivity between Indonesia, the broader ASEAN region, and China.

During the 17th ASEAN-China Working Group on Regional Air Services Arrangements (ACWG-RASA) held in Yogyakarta, the company explored opportunities to expand international flight collaborations for the airports it manages.

"This forum serves as an opportunity to showcase our airports' competitive advantages to support the strengthening of ASEAN-China air connectivity," President Director of InJourney Airports Mohammad R. Pahlevi said in a press statement received here on Saturday.

"This initiative is also part of our broader effort to optimize InJourney Airports' assets," he added.

Hosted by the Indonesian Transportation Ministry, the forum gathered 61 delegates from ASEAN member states and China.

It was also attended by 127 representatives from airlines, airport operators, aircraft manufacturing and maintenance companies, and aviation associations from across the two regions.

Commercial Director of InJourney Airports Veri Y. Setiady noted that enhancing ASEAN-China connectivity was a primary focus for the company at the forum, aligning with the rising trend of flight demand between China and various regions in Indonesia.

He noted that by December 2025, 40.9 million international passengers from several countries had arrived in Indonesia, reflecting a recovery rate of 110 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.

"The Asian market contributes 67 percent of this total, and China is one of the main drivers of this growth," he said.

Setiady further said that flight demand from China to Indonesia is no longer centralized solely in Jakarta and Bali.

Based on indirect passenger traffic data throughout 2025, the island of Java recorded around 992 thousand passengers, followed by Bali and Nusa Tenggara with approximately 525 thousand passengers, and Sumatra with 169 thousand passengers.

Meanwhile, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua posted smaller but consistent growth in demand.

"This trend reinforces our basis to continue pushing for stronger direct ASEAN-China connectivity, not only through primary hubs but also through other airports that serve as gateways to various regions," he stated.

The six regional hubs promoted by the company to expand direct ASEAN-China connectivity include Yogyakarta International Airport in Yogyakarta, Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in Lombok, and Minangkabau International Airport in Padang.

The other three are Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, and Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado.

These six airports are integrated with surrounding local airport networks, including Kendari, Palu, Gorontalo, Ternate, Ambon, Sorong, Timika, Jayapura, Kupang, and Labuan Bajo, allowing the potential connectivity boost to reach a much broader area across the archipelago.

"We are grateful to have received positive responses from the delegates and airlines attending the forum, which we will follow up on in greater detail during subsequent meetings," Setiady said.

As the world's fifth-largest airport operator, serving 162 million passengers across 37 airports, InJourney Airports aims to continually optimize its facilities to strengthen Indonesia-China connectivity while maximizing its contribution to the national economy and tourism sector.

Related news: Indonesia takes active role in boosting ASEAN-China air connectivity

Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Uyu Liman

Editor: Bayu Prasetyo

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