13 Nov 2024
Mangupura, November 13, 2024 – PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (API), I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport branch, has confirmed that all service aspects and facilities are in top condition and ready to accommodate the 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year (Nataru) travel period. Coordination and collaboration with the wider airport community have been carried out to anticipate the increase in aircraft movements and potential passenger surge.
General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, explained that an operational plan for the Nataru period has been prepared. “Our service focus follows the company’s pillars: Premises, concerning infrastructure and facility readiness; People, ensuring the readiness of airport personnel; and Process, which emphasizes cross-agency collaboration to ensure smooth Nataru operations,” he said on Friday (13/12/2024).
He further explained that the airport has ensured the readiness of flight safety and security facilities, passenger service at every touch point, optimization of flight schedules (slot time), as well as traffic arrangements for pick-up and drop-off vehicles around the airport.
A series of completed optimization projects are also expected to enhance passenger and traffic flow. “We have reconfigured areas within the terminal prone to congestion, such as the Security Check Point (SCP). With this adjustment, the number of SCP lanes has increased: from 3 to 5 lanes at the domestic terminal (1st floor), and from 3 to 4 lanes at the 2nd floor. We have also added new x-ray machines, three units for the domestic terminal and one for the international terminal,” said Syaugi.
On the landside, attention has also been given to vehicle traffic at the terminal area. “We recognize the airport’s limited land capacity; therefore, we are striving to find solutions to ensure smoother vehicle traffic from entry to exit points. We have added two vehicle lanes, now totaling four, and expanded several access points. The vehicle lanes are now wider, and traffic flow is supported by the implementation of cashless parking payment,” he noted.
To further anticipate traffic congestion in surrounding access roads, the airport has secured support from the Airport Police, Kuta Police, Ngurah Rai Air Force Base, Badung Regency Transportation Agency, as well as the customary villages (desa adat) of Tuban and Kuta. “Joint personnel will be stationed at several critical intersections such as Dewi Sartika, Kubu Anyar, and the Patung Kuda roundabout,” he added.
Meanwhile, to ensure smooth operations and passenger services, the airport management together with related agencies will operate an Integrated Command Post for Christmas and New Year monitoring from December 18, 2024, to January 5, 2025. “Airport operations will continue 24 hours, as will the Integrated Command Post. Through this post, every aircraft and passenger movement will be monitored in real time,” said Syaugi.
During this holiday period, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport is projected to handle more than 7,800 aircraft movements, up 4 percent from last year’s Nataru period. Passenger numbers are expected to reach 1.3 million over the 19-day period, representing a 10 percent increase from the 1.2 million recorded during the previous year.
As for additional flight requests (extra flights), as of Thursday (12/12), the airport has received 445 applications from 7 airlines for 7 domestic routes, namely Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Lombok, Timika, Pontianak, and Banjarmasin.
