(Wednesday Reflection) : Welcome to Soekarno Hatta International Airport-Tangerang, not Jakarta

Welcome to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Cengkareng Jakarta

Stop!

It has officially been replaced by using new one “Welcome to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Tangerang, Banten.” I had already read about the news since last week, when the airport officer issued a letter for name replacement and instructed to all airlines to not mention Jakarta, but Tangerang. When I heard, it’s based on mayor’s complain about the place name and based on the reality if the international airport is located in Tangerang, not Jakarta.

However, for airport code (CGK) will not be changed, as it’s already known and registered internationally. It means since now, we have to accustom to call the airport as Bandara Internasional Soekarno-Hatta, Tangerang, Banten. Sign replacements is about to be held afterwards. In my opinion, the foreigners and also locals will confuse about the replacement. We only know Jakarta International Airport rather than Tangerang. But, as other airports, most of them are actually outside of the city. Let me take example : Djuanda International Airport is not located in Surabaya (East Java), but in Sidoarjo. And the solution is mentioning as “Bandara Internasional Djuanda Surabaya Sidoarjo.”

What I see here is actually generalization. People only know one place like Jakarta, but particularly foreigners do not understand where Tangerang is. What is Tangerang? What kind of city is it? Is it near Jakarta? And most inhabitants also tend to claim themselves as Jakartans or from Jakarta. When someone says he is from Tangerang, many people will confuse or express such face as “what kindaz of place is it.” Generalization is everywhere when people is ignorant to take care about specific things. People from Tangerang and Bekasi are considered as Jakartans, though in reality they’re from different provinces. Tangerang belongs to Banten, while Bekasi is part of West Java. Jakarta? It’s special capital region for Indonesia and its status is equal to other provinces.

I think generalization is common in all parts of the world, and maybe the changing requirement is part of dynamics. For me, it will make Tangerang more well-known than before. Though it lies western part of Jakarta, but it has got its own live and it’s so industrious region and the richest region of Banten province. Maybe for the first time, the replacement seems awkward as much as when the Jakarta government forbade all sellers for selling theirs in commuter line and raided all illegal passengers who took the train on the top. It seemed hard at first, but time goes by, all people are accustomed to be more orderly and behave in the commuter train.

So, what about other airport? Will they follow the same thing with Soekarno-Hatta? Let’s see then. So, for foreigners…from now and on, please remember that Soekarn0-Hatta Airport is not in Jakarta, but in Tangerang, Banten. (As the location is in Tangerang…trully and I swear).

Welcome to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Jakar….oops..no…Tangerang, Banten.

 

Tangerang, 3 February 2015

 

Bambang Priantono

(sorry, no picture)