JAKARTA – Amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in several regions in the country, Angkasa Pura Airports assured that the development of seven airports will continue, especially in areas whose residents have been infected with the virus such as Yogyakarta, Bali and North Sulawesi.
To support the ongoing airport development projects while preventing the transmission of the coronavirus, Angkasa Pura Airports is working with contractor partners to check and maintain the health of airport development project workers through body temperature checks, mask distribution and providing hand sanitizers.
"This effort is a commitment of the management to reduce coronavirus transmission and protect employees, especially field workers in airport development projects, from the coronavirus infection. In addition, this effort is also a manifestation of the company's commitment to shareholders and stakeholders to complete the development of the airports on time even though we are facing a pandemic," Angkasa Pura Airports president director Faik Fahmi.
Health checks of airport development project workers, mainly conducted at Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) in Kulon Progo, Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, and El Tari International Airport in Kupang. Information dissemination on coronavirus, efforts to prevent it from spreading to project workers and disinfectant spraying, which is planned to be done once a week starting the third week of March, are also carried out at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.
For information, the YIA development is targeted to be 100 percent complete and will be fully operational on March 29, 2020. Meanwhile, all flights at Adisutjipto International Airport will be transferred to YIA except scheduled and non-scheduled flights using propellers as well as VIP and general aviation flights. YIA has a capacity of 20 million passengers per year, 11 times larger than Adisutjipto International Airport which only has an ideal capacity of 1.8 million passengers per year.
Furthermore, the realization of package 1 of Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport’s development has reached 47.6% as of March. The package 1 development consists of the expansion of the main passenger terminal building and the terminal in the south side as well as the construction of the flyover and the main road, the connecting bridge, the parking area in the north side and the utility building. The development of the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport will increase capacity to 15 million passengers per year from only seven million passengers per year and is targeted to be completed in May 2021.
Anticipating the Spread of Coronavirus to Airport Service Users and Employees
Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus in some neighbouring countries, Angkasa Pura I has made various efforts to prevent the spread of the virus through passengers passing through the airport, such as working with the Port Health Office (KKP) to tighten health screening for international passengers through body temperature checks by thermal scanners and thermal gun, dissemination of information on preventing the spread of coronavirus at 15 airports, simulating the handling of suspects identified contracting coronavirus at several airports, spraying disinfectants in all areas of the airport and branch offices periodically (once to four times a day), providing hand sanitizers at some spots in airports and branch offices.
As for employees, the company provides masks to all airport operations officers, specifically at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, and requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as protective glasses (goggles), N95 masks, gloves, as well as using hand sanitizer.
On March 17, 2020, work from home policy is effective immediately to Angkasa Pura Airports employees at the Jakarta head office, 15 airport branch offices and five subsidiaries, especially for administrative employees with a split team mechanism of which employees in each unit made arrangements to split into two teams and work from home alternately. The policy to work from home full time applies to employees over 50 years old.
"In general, all Angkasa Pura I employees who work from home have been provided with facilities that allow them to work remotely in a comfortable, efficient and not reduce productivity just like working in the office," Faik said.
In addition, social distancing measures is also implemented at all airports managed by Angkasa Pura Airports by maintaining one-meter-physical distance in public service area by using a distance guide sticker. Work from home and the physical distance is based on President Joko Widodo's direction to conduct social distancing so that the spread of coronavirus can be minimized.
