History and Development
Soekarno-Hatta replaced Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta’s crowded city-centre airport, and has grown into the busiest airport in Indonesia.
Background
By the late 1960s Kemayoran could no longer expand. With USAID assistance, eight sites were evaluated, and a location at Benda in North Tangerang was chosen for the new international airport. Construction ran in two phases between 1975 and 1985; the airport began domestic operations on 1 May 1985 and took over international flights from Halim Perdanakusuma in 1991.
Expansion and design
Terminal 3 construction started in phases from 2009 and was completed as Terminal 3 Ultimate in 2016; the airport railway and the third runway followed. Terminals 1 and 2 were designed by French architect Paul Andreu, combining Javanese pendopo pavilions with tropical gardens — a concept that won the 1995 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Project phases
| Phase | Year | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 1 May 1985 | Opening of Terminal 1, capacity 9 million passengers per year | Completed |
| Phase 2 | 11 May 1991 | Opening of Terminal 2, capacity 18 million passengers per year | Completed |
| Phase 3 | 15 April 2009 | Terminal 3 phase 1, capacity 22 million passengers per year | Completed |
| Freight terminal | — | Fully built new freight terminal (north-west section) | Pending |
| Phase 4 | 9 August 2016 | Terminal 3 Ultimate complete, capacity 43 million per year, airport railway, third runway, east cross taxiway | Completed |
| Airport railway | 2016 | Construction of the airport railway | Completed |
| Third runway | 2019 | Construction of the third runway | Completed |
| Phase 5 | 2022 | Refurbishment of Terminals 1 & 2 to raise capacity to 61 million per year | In progress |
Key dates
- 1985 — domestic operations begin on 1 May.
- 1991 — international flights move from Halim Perdanakusuma.
- 2016 — Terminal 3 Ultimate opens.
- 2019 — the third runway becomes operational.
Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia — hub airline at the airport.
- Batik Air, Lion Air, Citilink and Indonesia AirAsia — major Indonesian carriers.
- Sriwijaya Air, Super Air Jet, TransNusa, NAM Air and Pelita Air — additional domestic operators.