Kemayoran Airport
Kemayoran Airport (IATA: JKT, ICAO: WIID) also spelled Kemajoran Airport, was the principal airport for Jakarta, Indonesia, from 8 July 1940 until 31 March 1985, when it was replaced by Soekarno–Hatta International Airport.
Kemayoran Airport Luchthaven Kemajoran (Dutch) Bandar Udara Kemayoran (Indonesian) | |||||||||||||||
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Kemayoran Airport in 1961 | |||||||||||||||
Summary | |||||||||||||||
Airport type | Defunct | ||||||||||||||
Serves | |||||||||||||||
Location | Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, Indonesia | ||||||||||||||
Opened | 8 July 1940 | ||||||||||||||
Closed | 31 March 1985 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 12 ft / 4 m | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 06°08′50″S 106°51′00″E | ||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||
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During World War II it was used by the Royal Air Force and became RAF Kemajoran. They used it during the invasion by the Japanese. Kemayoran replaced Jakarta's first airport at Cililitan. What was Kemayoran Airport is now located in two subdistricts: the southern part is located in the Kemayoran Subdistrict, Central Jakarta and the northern part is in Pademangan Subdistrict, North Jakarta.
Douglas DC-8 jetliners flown by Garuda Indonesia, KLM, Japan Airlines, UTA French Airlines, Air Ceylon and Thai Airways operated to Kemayoran in the 1960s and early 1970s, as did Cathay Pacific Convair 880 jets. Paris-based Transports Aeriens Intercontinentaux formerly served Kemayoran with DC-8s prior to being merged into UTA. Garuda Indonesia also flew Convair 990 and Douglas DC-9 jets as well as Fokker F27 turboprops into the airport at this time. Boeing 707 jetliners operated by Air India, Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, Pan Am and Qantas served Kemayoran as well.
In 1975, international flights were temporarily moved to Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base.
Flight operations terminated on the night of 31 March 1985, and domestic flights were immediately transferred to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The airport was briefly reactivated for the Indonesian Air Show in 1986.
The location of the former airport has been a favorite subject in urban planning, on which the former runways have been converted into a wide boulevard, while the green areas around has been filled gradually into developments such as Jakarta International Exposition Center (JIExpo) and Kota Baru Bandar Kemayoran. Several expansion projects have been abandoned however, due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis like Jakarta Tower and Pallazo Apartement.
The remains of the control tower and main terminal still stands south of the JIExpo site, with a portion of the airport tarmac remaining in front of the terminal, as is the terminal's forecourt. Plans were in consideration to convert the former main terminal into a government office; this plan was apparently abandoned after 2003, as construction progress has stopped. The current government office stands next to the terminal. The site of the former control tower was once set for a residential property, with the tower itself torn down, but due to the 1997–98 financial crisis, has been largely abandoned.