The Indonesian government has consolidated airport operators Angkasa Pura I (AP I) and Angkasa Pura II (AP II) into a single entity known as PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, as per an announcement made last Thursday. This merger propels Angkasa Pura Indonesia to become the world's fifth-largest airport operator, managing 35 airports throughout the country and accommodating 172 million passengers annually. State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Erick Thohir expressed in the announcement that this reformation aims to achieve more cohesive and efficient airport administration. He further added that this consolidation reflects the adaptability of SOEs in adapting to evolving circumstances.
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The merger was executed by the state-owned tourism holding company, PT Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia, also known as InJourney, which supervises the nation's tourism and commercial aviation sectors. As a subsidiary of InJourney, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia will operate under the brand name InJourney Airports. Erick mentioned that the unification of AP I and AP II, which managed airports in the eastern and western regions of the country respectively, is part of a larger initiative to maximize Indonesia's economic, tourism, and logistics potential. He also conveyed his expectation that the merger of the two SOEs would enhance airport service quality and standardize systems and policies across the aviation industry.
As per data from the SOEs Ministry in December 2021, AP I was burdened with a debt of 35 trillion rupiah and was suffering monthly losses of 200 billion rupiah. The ministry attributed this primarily to the construction of the Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo regency, which incurred a cost of 12 trillion rupiah but witnessed low passenger traffic, leading to financial losses for AP I, the operator of the new airport. The global airline industry, including domestic air travel and airports, was severely affected by the travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. The previous year, the ministry suggested a state capital injection of 9.5 trillion rupiah for InJourney in 2023, which encompassed funds to improve the financial health of both AP I and AP II.
InJourney's president director, Dony Oskaria, stated that the merger would render the group's airports more financially stable and profitable. He added that InJourney Airports would undertake measures to enhance its services, revamp its business strategy, and bolster its operational quality to make airports the nation's pride, as reported by Bisnis.com