TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia's Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi is encouraging Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, to become a showcase of Indonesia by strengthening its cultural identity while continuing its service transformation with the goal of becoming one of the world's top 10 airports by 2029.
"We want Soekarno-Hatta Airport to become Indonesia's showcase so that everyone, both domestic and international travelers, can experience the face of Indonesia when they arrive at Soekarno-Hatta," Dudy said in Jakarta on Sunday, July 12, as quoted by Antara.
Dudy made the remarks in response to Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono's call to accelerate the transformation of Soekarno-Hatta Airport so it can break into the world's top 10 airports by 2029.
He said the Transportation Ministry fully supports efforts to improve the quality of Indonesia's main gateway and hopes the airport can eventually become one of the world's leading aviation hubs.
According to Dudy, the airport's transformation has already begun with the beautification of Terminal 3, which is aimed not only at enhancing its physical appearance but also improving services for passengers.
Beyond Terminal 3, the ministry is encouraging PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (InJourney Airports), the airport operator, to revitalize Terminals 1 and 2 as part of broader efforts to improve the passenger travel experience.
Dudy said improving service quality should go hand in hand with strengthening Indonesia's national identity so visitors can experience the country's character from the moment they arrive.
He envisions Soekarno-Hatta Airport as a gateway that showcases Indonesia's rich culture, arts, and diversity to both domestic and international travelers.
According to Dudy, the concept is inspired by several international airports that successfully integrate national identity into the passenger experience.
He believes Indonesia possesses far greater cultural diversity, providing abundant material to showcase different traditions without losing a distinct national identity.
"Compared with international airports, Soekarno-Hatta is not inferior. Take Singapore, for example. In my view, Changi Airport represents the face of Singapore because it truly showcases the country's identity," Dudy said.
"If we want to learn from that, we should also make Soekarno-Hatta Airport the face of Indonesia," he added.
Dudy said the redesigned Terminals 1 and 2 now feature a stronger Indonesian atmosphere, creating a positive first impression for travelers entering the airport.
Meanwhile, Terminal 3 has been developed with a futuristic concept while continuing to improve service quality to meet the needs of modern passengers.
"We have an abundance of cultural assets—from ethnic traditions and arts to countless local cultures. We can continue showcasing different aspects of Indonesia without becoming repetitive. We will never run out of stories to tell at Soekarno-Hatta," he said.
On June 25, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono called for the acceleration of Soekarno-Hatta Airport's transformation so it can rank among the world's top 10 airports by 2029.
"A few months ago, we discussed our ambition to make Soekarno-Hatta one of the world's top 10 airports by 2029. That effort must also be accompanied by stronger accessibility," AHY said during a ministerial coordination meeting on strengthening airport ecosystem governance in Jakarta.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport currently ranks 22nd in Skytrax's 2026 list of the World's Top 100 Airports.
Read: Soekarno-Hatta Police Seize Rp97.8b in Etomidate
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