Asia Airports News
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I’ve been hearing mentions that this might be in the works, and now it seems to be official: Visitors to Indonesia, starting with Bali, will now have their fingerprints and pictures taken. According to Bali Discovery, fingerprints will be taken using an ink-less scanner. No word on how the photography will work, although one would assume that it would be similar to the web-cam systems used in many other countries.
The system will eventually be rolled out to all points of entry in Indonesia.
It was a day of firsts: It’s the first time I’m flying Tiger Airways, so it’s also my first time through Changi Airport’s Budget Terminal. As you’d pretty much expect from one of the world’s best airports, they did a very good job creating an infrastructure for low cost carriers. Yes, it’s a very utilitarian building, with no new-fangled contraptions like moving sidewalks that need maintenance, but it does have all the basic necessities, and like everything in Singapore it’s clean and efficient.
While departing passengers won’t find the shopping paradise of the main terminals, there are enough shops – and restaurants – in the departure lounge to keep you from going through withdrawals. There’s even a foot massage service if you’ve over-done it on Orchard Road. Lastly, for those of us for whom connectivity is most certainly not a "frill", there’s free wi-fi as well as free terminals, and even some desk space where you can plug in your own laptop.
Indonesian airlines have had a rough time over the last few years. There have been crashes and accusations of lax maintenance. This all culminated in the EU issuing a ban on all Indonesian airlines preventing them from flying to Europe (even though none of them did at the time). This drove a few airlines out of business or into mergers with larger rivals.
Those that were left had to clean up their act. The national carrier Garuda received international certification by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in mid-2008. The certification, called the International Operational Audit (IOSA), demonstrates that the airline has passed a thorough check on the quality and integrity of its maintenance and safety procedures.
Now comes word from Bali Discover that a second Indonesian carrier, Mandala, has also passed the certification. The news is especially significant since privately owned Mandala isn’t even a member of IATA. I haven’t had a chance to fly Mandala yet. I’m hoping to have the opportunity soon.