Soekarno-Hatta International Airport

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (SHIA, ), in Western Java serves Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, the wider Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, and a large part of Western Java.

Understand
The airport is in Tangerang, 20 km (12 mi) to the northwest of Jakarta. All international and most domestic flights land here. The airport code comes from Cengkareng, the district of the airport and so people often called it Cengkareng Airport. During the rainy season, the road to and from Cengkareng was prone to flooding but this problem has now been alleviated with the building of a raised, dual carriageway toll road between the Jakarta and Cengkareng.

The airport is the busiest in Indonesia, and the 8th busiest in the world, with more than 60 million passengers stepping in each year. As it serves Jakarta, Indonesia's government and economic centre, it is the hub for major airlines that fly to other cities in Indonesia.

The two original terminals, 1 & 2, are illuminated in mostly orange & brown colours. The gate lounges are designed to be like traditional Javanese houses called Joglo & have a garden between them. This Paul Andreu design won the 1995 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Terminal 3 has a green and modern design and was completed in 2017.

SHIA was built in the 1970s to alleviate the sprawling congestion on domestic flights at the former Kemayoran Airport, and international flights at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, but SHIA is now operating at twice its designed capacity. Halim Airport is used for some domestic regular flights of Citilink and Batik Air, so passengers of both airlines should check which airport their flight will be departing from. The name of the airport comes from the first president and vice president of Indonesia, the founding fathers of the country: Soekarno & Mohammad Hatta.

Flights
Jakarta's status as Indonesia's government and economy centre makes the airport the hub of Indonesia's biggest airlines. The airport has 3 terminals. Terminals 1 & 2 each have 3 concourses with 7 gates each, but usually referred to as Terminal 1* or 2* where the * is the concourse. Concourses D & E are for international flights only. Terminal 3 is the newest and most modern.

Arrival procedure
All passengers arriving on international flights must go through immigration first, collect all luggage, and go through customs before boarding any domestic flights. International passengers can carry a maximum of Rp100 million or its equivalent in foreign currency per passenger.

Terminal 2
A lot of countries are eligible to apply for a Visa on arrival (VOA) at the airport, see the main Indonesia article for the details of the rules and which countries are eligible. The visa on arrival counters are available at both the left & right-hand side of the end of the corridor after you exit your gate; do not ride the travelator or you will miss the counter! If possible, provide an exact payment of US$35 for a 30-day visa and ignore any requests for additional fees. The Visa on Arrival is payable in cash or by credit card, albeit slower (and sometimes payment by credit card is "broken" and only cash is accepted).

Other passengers that already have a visa in hand, eligible for a visa waiver, or has an Indonesian passport, can go directly to the immigration counters. Foreign passport and Indonesian passports already registered to use the automatic gates may travel straight to the immigration counters using the travelator; passengers with Indonesian passports not registered for the automatic gate must use the counters to the left and right of the hall (do not take the travelator!)

Terminal 3
Head to the center hall at the end of the concourse. The visa on arrival (VOA) counter will be on your right before the immigration. As of August 2023 VOA cost 500,000Rp. Payment must be in cash but most major currencies accepted.

Passengers on domestic flights transferring to another domestic flight, or international to international, can directly go to their respective transfer desks to obtain both the boarding pass for your next flight and a request to return to the departure hall.

Departure procedure
For departures, you will have to go through security screening twice. At the check-in hall, you must scan both your carry-on & checked luggage, a secondary screening is for carry-on bags. In Terminals 1 and 2, the first checkpoint is after the shops to enter the check-in desks while the second is after the shops towards the concourse for your gates. In Terminal 3, the first checkpoint is right at the entrance to the building while the second is right after immigration; unlike the other two terminals, the passenger's guests get to accompany at check in and then eat or shop together at the same public area.

A dedicated check-in lounge with check-in desks, immigration booth, and direct access to the Pura Indah Lounge is available for first & business class of selected international airlines at the left end of terminal 2. Immigration, unless if you are using a premium check-in facility, is right in front of Concourse E.

Popular flights
Flights to major cities in Indonesia, especially Semarang, Yogyakarta, Pontianak, Surabaya, Denpasar, Solo, Malang, Batam, Banjarmasin, Banyuwangi, Medan, Padang, Palembang, and Makassar, as well as Singapore for international flights, are very ubiquitous (up to 30 a day) so prices between airlines do not differ too much, though full-service airlines such as Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines often comes out as the most expensive.

Jakarta is also well connected to most major cities in Asia and the Middle East with daily flights. Other international destinations with direct flights include Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne in Australia, as well as Istanbul in Turkey, Amsterdam and London in Europe.

There are no direct flights to Africa and the Americas. Fly to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Australia or the Middle East first for easier connections to these regions.

By commuter rail
The KAI Commuter Basoetta Line runs between the airport's station and downtown. There are three ways to pay:


 * Single Trip Ticket, bought at a vending machine (accepts debit, credit, or prepaid cards only).
 * Kartu Multi Trip, prepaid card issued by KAI Commuter. The card can be purchased and topped up at ticket counters and some ticket vending machines. The card costs Rp30,000, including an initial balance of Rp10,000. The card can also be used to ride other public transportation such as the metro, light rail or busway.
 * Electronic money or bank-issued prepaid card, such as Bank Mandiri's e-money, BCA's Flazz, BNI's tap-cash, BRI's BRIZZI, or Bank DKI's JakCard. The cards can also be used for purchases at major retailers, convenience stores, toll roads, parking and other public transportation such as the light rail, commuter train, or busway. The cards are obtainable at the respective banks, convenience stores such as Alfamart and Indomaret, and Transjakarta stations. The cards cost Rp40,000, all of which is credited toward purchases. The cards are non-refundable and can be topped up at ATMs of the respective banks and convenience stores such as Alfamart and Indomaret.

BNI City station provides connections to the MRT North-South Line, LRT Bekasi Line, LRT Cibubur Line and KAI Commuter Cikarang Loop Line. There are hourly feeder buses from BNI City station to Gambir station, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Gatot Subroto. The bus is designed to accommodate passengers with luggage and costs Rp3,500.

By public bus
DAMRI buses connect the airport to numerous destinations around Jakarta: Gambir, Rawamangun, Blok M, Tanjung Priok, Kampung Rambutan, Pasar Minggu, Lebak Bulus and Kemayoran (Rp40,000) as well as directly to the neighboring cities of Bekasi (Rp45,000), Serang (Rp60,000), Bogor (Rp55,000) and Cikarang (Rp50,000). The service operates from 05:00-23:30. You can get the tickets at the many counters after the airport exit. If arriving by an international flight to the terminal 2, head to the left after going out of the building until you see DAMRI ticket booths and bus stops. In terminal 3, the bus stop is just behind the taxi ranks. Buses are standard but comfortable, has a television at the front of the cabin, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Using the bus can be convenient, especially if you have plenty of baggage as they can be stored in the bin below the bus. In many cases, you can flag the bus conductor to stop the bus anywhere, especially if it passes your hotel or residence.

The airport authority also runs 4 free buses that can carry 25 passengers each to Pantai Indah Kapuk and Rawa Bokor.

By taxi
To get to the city, the easiest option is to contact your hotel to pick you up in the airport, as many hotels in Jakarta provide free airport transfers. Getting a taxi is a little more complicated:


 * If you book from the counters right after Customs, you'll get a nice car, and jump to the head of the queue. These counters also sell SIM cards and refills.
 * If you're not booking from the counters, you can hail them from the ordinary taxi ranks. The Blue Bird Group operates blue Blue Bird and Pusaka taxis, a usually reliable option for taxi service. A ride to the downtown area should cost about Rp150,000-200,000 on top of the toll fare. Its premium brand, Silver Bird has a posher car and is perfect if you are traveling with up to 4 other people and have plenty of luggage, but costs about 1½ times the ordinary taxi. Express Taxi uses a similar Blue Bird car, but would cost you only around Rp120,000-180,000. Others will charge you Rp100,000-120,000 but expect rudimentary service compared to the former three companies. Only pre-approved taxis may pick up and drop off passengers, which would have the sign 'Airport Taxi'. Always ask the driver to run the meter.

The airport has a receipt system for payment of an airport surcharge in addition to the metered charge. You are asked for your destination when arriving at the taxi rank and the receipt is issued accordingly when you are assigned a taxi; if you do not explicitly state that you require a taxi you may not be assigned one. Usually, taxi staff is uniformed; if someone offers you a taxi and they are not wearing the same uniform as the taxi company drivers then you are well advised to ignore them.

For terminals 1A and 1B, the taxi queue is first-come, first-served: you must take whatever the taxi is in front of you. A dedicated Blue Bird lane is a short walk away at Terminal 1C.

You should know in advance the approximate location of your destination (such as north, central, east) because at the end of the airport toll road there are 2 options of toll roads: Jakarta Inner Ring Road for the north, east, and central area (Kelapa Gading, Ancol, Grogol, Downtown Jakarta, Tebet, Cawang), and Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) to the other parts of Jakarta (especially the west area towards Tangerang, Pondok Indah, Lebak Bulus, Cilandak) and the Bodetabek metro area (Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi), which later connects to Jagorawi Toll Road. Taxi drivers frequently choose the longest route to get a higher fare, therefore request 'lewat Grogol' in advance if your destination is along the Jakarta Inner Ring Road or Downtown Jakarta.

By rideshare
Gojek and Grab are the approved rideshare taxi in this airport. You must book at their respective pick-up points throughout the airport as only approved taxis may pick up passengers and the fare can be different than those shown in the app (by zone instead of by distance). Don't forget to show the given receipt to the driver when loading. These fares can be paid by cash if your credit card has not been set up already.

By car
Parking is available at the front of every terminal. Lots A, B, and C are across Terminal 1, while lots D, E, and F are across terminal 2. There are also wide spots for parking at Terminal 3. However parking is hectic and spaces quickly fill up! There is a special parking lot between the terminals for overnight parking and look for "Parkir Inap" sign, if you wish to use the facility. You will be provided with free shuttle car from/to the overnight parking lot. In 2017, the overnight parking cost Rp30,000 for the first 4 hours and Rp6,000 per hour thereafter.

If you wish to rent a car, the is one location at Terminal 2F and others at the counters right after customs.

There is a dedicated toll road into the city, but this will depend on where you will go to. Generally, all directions are clearly indicated:
 * If you're heading towards Tangerang, if you want to avoid the toll fees, you can work your way at the road on the left side just after the airport gate. Turn left at the airport's north perimeter road, and then left. Go straight towards downtown Tangerang. Take the south perimeter road and then turn left if you are coming from Tangerang to the airport.
 * If you're heading towards Tangerang, Merak port, South Jakarta or the western suburbs of Jakarta, from the tollroad, take the first interchange that will take you to the outer ring road (Lingkar Luar). Take the first toll interchange if you wish to go to Tangerang, or continue southward to Kebun Jeruk, Pondok Indah, Pasar Minggu, Kemang. Take the second interchange to take a tollway to Serpong.
 * If you're heading towards North Jakarta, stay along the tollroad. Stay on the right lane for the second toll interchange towards the inner city tollway. This will take you to Pluit, Ancol, Kemayoran, Kelapa Gading, or Tanjung Priok.
 * If you're heading towards downtown Jakarta, Bekasi, or Bandung, stay along the tollway and use the left lane at the second interchange to enter the downtown tollway (Tol Dalam Kota). Continue straight towards Tol Jakarta-Cikampek for Bekasi, Cikarang, and Bandung.
 * If you are heading towards East Jakarta, you can use either the north or the west tollway first, but it is recommended to use the north tollway that takes you to North Jakarta first. Then take the right lane at the second interchange towards the downtown tollway Tol Dalam Kota. You can also take the first interchange you meet to the 2nd ring road.
 * If you're heading towards Bogor or Depok, exit at either the Outer or Inner Ring Road and follow signs for the Tol Jagorawi interchange.

By van
Shuttle vans are a popular choice if your final destination is Bandung, another big city 130 km southeast of Jakarta, although it is not uncommon to drop you at downtown Jakarta too.



Get around
The free Skytrain people mover connects all three terminals and the Integrated Building where you can find the commuter rail to downtown. It runs in a circular loop, departs every 5 minutes, and takes 3-5 minutes to travel between each station.

Landside


There is a viewing gallery at the left end of Terminals 1 & 2, where you can view the garden and airplane activities at the airport.

Lounges
Airport Digital Lounge is provided in terminals 1, 2, and 3. The facility is a coworking space, coffee machine, VR games, and charging point. Besides that, there are also premium lounges to wait for your boarding time.

Terminal 1
If you are taking a domestic flight from Soekarno Hatta, you can enjoy cheap airport lounges. There are several private lounges open to travellers on any airline that are in stiff competition with each other. For Rp50,000, you can get a few hours in one of these lounges where you can relax on the comfy couches, eat and drink as much as you want, and use the internet (either by wifi or through their computers).
 * JW Lounge is near Concourse A
 * El John maintains 2 lounges, both near Concourses B & C

Eat and drink
Prices at the airport are almost always more expensive than in the city.

Buy
Exchange rates in the airport are not significantly worse than in the downtown. A few ATMs and foreign exchange counters are scattered throughout the airport.

Duty-free
Lotte has a duty-free shop between terminal 2E. Do note that if you shop at Lotte Duty-Free in downtown Jakarta, you can pick up your items on the same day at the airport. Other Duty-Free tenants include:

Connect
There are standing computers with internet access in Airport Digital Lounge. Wi-Fi connectivity is available for free in the terminals, connect your gadget to "CGK-airport@ap2.co.id" and then click "Get Started".

Cope
There are some of the facilities available at the airport.
 * Baggage wrapping service to help you protect your baggage from tampering because of mishandling.
 * Charging booth in the departure and boarding area so you don't worry about running out of battery.
 * Drinking water for free in all terminals but bring your own bottle.
 * Golf car assistant in terminal 3 when your boarding gate is too far away.
 * Information desk in the arrival area in each terminal.
 * Left luggage facilities are available in terminals 2 and 3 in the arrival areas.
 * Muslim prayer rooms are available at all terminals with the name Musholla.
 * Nursery rooms with baby diaper changing facilities.
 * Porter service to help you get your heavy luggage and it's free of charge.
 * Shower rooms is free of charge in the boarding area in terminal 3.
 * Toilets scattered all over the airport with disabled booths.

Sleep
Wait for the morning flight or just wait for morning cheap DAMRI transportation to downtown Jakarta can be done at (provided area by airport authority) Red Corner in Terminal 1A, near the food court and there are many long-united chairs which it is relatively comfortable for sleep, lay or take a nap and usually are empty.

Most of the hotels within the airport's vicinity are actually still in the Tangerang area rather than in Jakarta. Most, if not all, hotels offer free shuttle services to/from the airport; inquire if in doubt.

Stay safe
Do not keep any gadgets, money, or jewelry in checked luggage! There are reports of luggage allegedly broken into before being put on the carousel. It is recommended to use locks (TSA-certified is better) so that these thieves do not sneak into your bag! You may wrap your luggage in plastic using machines throughout the airport, but the facility is not free and relatively expensive.

Nowadays baggage porters are free.

As you exit from the customs into the outdoor area, there will be some people who voluntarily offer you a ride; do not take them!. These drivers are actually touting and will charge an unofficially higher fare to wherever your destination is, even if they have a possibility of kidnapping! Ignore these offers & wait only at the designated taxi ranks, where there are uniform staffs of the respective taxi companies. It is much better to arrange your transportation before you travel, and when someone you arranged will drive you from the airport, it is better to have them wait indoors so that you can approach him/her before heading outside.

Do not accept any food or drinks from strangers. It is possible that they may have already put illicit substances in it to make you drowsy and they will steal your belongings as you sleep! Also do not accept requests from strangers to carry their luggage or items, as it is possible they may contain drugs, which will only cause you jail time and even the death penalty when you arrive.

Nearby

 * The city of Tangerang is less than 15 km from the airport and is accessible from a network of toll roads.
 * The Pantai Indah Kapuk area in North Jakarta is straight ahead of the toll road and has an array of dining options.