Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia is looking to breathe new life into Kertajati International Airport, an underutilized facility in West Java, by transforming it into an International Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) center for both domestic and international airlines.
Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, said the government is committed to optimizing the airport, which has seen limited activity since its inauguration in 2015.
“Kertajati has often been cited as a case study of a world-class infrastructure that remains underused. That signals the need for collaborative solutions,” AHY said in a statement on Tuesday (April 22).
The government plans to initiate the airport’s transformation into a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub. The project will initially focus on servicing helicopters, or rotary-wing aircraft, with plans to expand operations to include fixed-wing commercial jets.
“This initiative will continue to grow,” AHY emphasized. “In the future, we hope to accommodate larger aircraft”
The plan was formalized through the signing of a master agreement and memorandum of understanding for the development of the Kertajati Aerospace Park, held in Majalengka, West Java, on Monday (April 21).
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The revival of Kertajati is also tied to a broader strategy to boost growth in the Rebana Metropolitan Area, a northern and eastern West Java development zone encompassing seven regencies and cities including Sumedang, Majalengka, Cirebon, Subang, Indramayu, Kuningan, and the city of Cirebon.
“In addition to reactivating the airport for passenger traffic, we aim to develop the entire Rebana region, including Patimban and Kertajati itself,” AHY said.
The area is being designed as an Aerocity, a specialized aerospace economic zone to tap into the growing aviation industry and strengthen Indonesia’s role in regional air logistics and manufacturing.
The rebirth of Kertajati as an MRO hub aligns with the government’s efforts to decentralize infrastructure development and drive regional economic transformation, while optimizing the underused International Airport of West Java.
(Raidi/Agung)
