Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has unveiled a new terminal at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport aimed at boosting the city’s appeal to international carriers. Officials hope the modern facility will attract flights that currently favor larger regional hubs such as Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, according to a report by USA Today. The newly opened Terminal 3 cost $560 million and began operations last month.
Domestic services operated by national carrier Garuda have already started using the terminal, and international flights are slated to transfer there this month. Additional airlines are expected to migrate operations to Terminal 3 over the coming weeks, allowing airport authorities to renovate two older terminals—originally built in 1984 and 1992—later this year. The upgrades are part of a broader effort to prepare Soekarno-Hatta for continued passenger growth as Indonesia remains one of the world’s fastest-growing air travel markets.
“This terminal was built to change the image of the capital Jakarta,” Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told USA Today. Once the renovations are complete and all terminals are fully operational in early 2018, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be able to handle up to 62 million passengers annually. That is an increase from the 54 million passengers recorded last year, a figure that ranked the airport as the 18th busiest in the world, according to Airports Council International.
In addition to terminal improvements, the airport is preparing for better ground connections: an electric train service linking the airport to central Jakarta is expected to begin operating in early 2017, which should ease transfers and further enhance the airport’s competitiveness.