West Java International Airport (BIJB) Kertajati in Majalengka burdens the province's finances with up to Rp 100 billion annually due to minimal flight activity. Governor Dedi Mulyadi criticizes the unproductive funding, while locals use the quiet airport for recreation. The West Java DPRD Commission V highlights potential fatigue for hajj pilgrims from long land journeys.
On Wednesday (7/1/2026), the atmosphere at West Java International Airport (BIJB) Kertajati in Majalengka District was quiet with no flight activities. Only two flights per week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays to Singapore by Scoot, serve that route. The parking area was empty, except for groups of locals recreating by spreading mats and eating together.
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, or KDM, expressed frustration over the provincial budget burden. "Our debt burden is high. One is the PEN (National Economic Recovery) fund, second is funding Kertajati, we keep funding it, no results," he said in his YouTube video. He added, "We're funding something that produces nothing at all. Meanwhile, it's a business entity, aviation business." KDM even asked the Head of Bappeda West Java if funding could be paused temporarily, given the lack of results.
Local residents are taking advantage of the airport's quietness for leisure. Tasipin (37), from Wanasari Village, Bangodua Subdistrict, Indramayu District, was doing a TikTok live while singing dangdut with his family. "Yeah, refreshing here, entertainment, to relieve stuffiness instead of at home. Here it's quiet, not crowded, so comfortable for family activities. Cool too, nice place," he said. Not far away, a group of women like Mimi Mpit (44) from Juntikedokan Village, Juntinyuat Subdistrict, Indramayu, held a celebration with neighbors using an odong-odong vehicle. "Here for a thanksgiving, outing with family and neighbors. Just eating together," she said. Airport management allows activities in the parking area and ground floor, including lit toilets and mushola.
Inside, the lobby was quiet with food stalls closed, only a minimarket open. Interior rooms were dark due to minimal lighting. Meanwhile, West Java DPRD Commission V member Hasbullah Rahmat, during the same day's inspection, worried about hajj pilgrims tiring from over an hour's drive from Indramayu Hajj Dormitory to the airport. "Because from the Hajj Dormitory in Indramayu District to Kertajati Airport in Majalengka takes more than 1 hour, so we need route scenarios so hajj pilgrims aren't tired on the road," he stated. Although the airport's infrastructure is mature with a 3,000-meter-long and 60-meter-wide runway, ready for 2026 hajj wide-body planes, land route time management is key.
This situation raises questions about the efficiency of one of West Java's grandest airports.
