Passengers travelling through 19 airports in Indonesia would be wise to arrive at the airport earlier for their flights, as enhanced security measures are being implemented in response to a suicide bombing in Medan on Wednesday.

Six people were wounded when a 24-year-old lone wolf suicide bomber blew himself up outside police headquarters in Medan at 09:00am, Reuters reported. On Saturday, two men who allegedly assembled the bomb used in the attack were shot dead in a gun fight with police, according to The Jakarta Post.

PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero), one of the country’s state enterprises that manages airports, said in a press release that the enhanced security would take the form of conducting random checks on airline passengers and their luggages.

Random checks are carried out at the security check point (SCP), which is an inspection area with a metal detector and x-ray, the press release added. Each airport has two SCPs: SCP 1 where the inspection is carried out before the passengers enter the check-in area, and SCP 2 where the inspection is carried out before the passengers enter the boarding lounge.

Random checks will be also carried out on vehicles and people who want to enter the airport area and terminal building.

Security is also being tightened at the Access Control Point (ACP), which is the point where vehicles or workers enter the airside of the airport.

In addition, a K9 Unit of sniffer dogs has also been deployed to inspect luggage and bags.

Angkasa Pura II said it has “ensured that flights at 19 airports are still running normally and smoothly”, without providing a list of the airports. The company’s website lists only 15 airports under a section titled “Our Airports”. A spokesperson for Angkasa Pura II could not be reached for clarification.

Angkasa Pura II mostly manages airports in the western part of Indonesia.

Cathay’s Medan route

Hong Kong airline Cathay Dragon suspended its flights to Medan at the end of October. Business Traveller Asia-Pacific asked Cathay whether it plans to reintroduce the route, and whether the recent bombing would negatively impact its decision to reintroduce that route.

“We regularly review our network of destinations in accordance with market demand,” a spokesperson said in response. 

Are you travelling through airports in Indonesia at the moment? Let us know what the security situation is like in the comments section below.