Indonesia is studying a proposal to repurpose Kertajati International Airport in West Java into a national defense industry hub, giving a new strategic role to an aviation facility that has struggled to reach its expected commercial use.
The plan, advanced by the West Java provincial government, would position the airport in Majalengka as a center for military aviation activity, aircraft assembly and defense-related industrial facilities. It would also bring state-owned defense companies into a more concentrated operating space.
Under the proposal, Dirgantara Indonesia and Pindad would be part of the defense ecosystem around Kertajati. The two state-owned companies are linked to aerospace production, military vehicles, weapons and ammunition, making the airport a potential platform for industrial consolidation as well as aviation operations.
The reshaping of Kertajati would be paired with a renewed commercial role for Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung. That division would allow Kertajati to take on a strategic and industrial function while Husein Sastranegara again serves as the main commercial airport for the region.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the central government supports the direction of the proposal and is working with the provincial administration to redefine the role of both airports. The objective is to make better use of Kertajati's strategic capacity while also restoring commercial value to the Bandung facility.
Kertajati, also known as West Java International Airport, opened in 2018 to serve Indonesia's most populous province, which has more than 50 million residents. Built with one of the country's longest runways and designed for large passenger volumes, the airport is located about 68 kilometers from Bandung.
Despite improved road access after completion of the Cisumdawu Toll Road, passenger traffic has remained below expectations. The defense hub proposal reflects an effort to give the airport a more durable role within Indonesia's aviation, industrial and security planning.
