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New Jakarta Airport Terminal Floods Just Days After Opening

The airport operator said it brought the flooding under control within an hour.
Image:  Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
The check-in hall at the newly opened Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday.BAY ISMOYO / AFP - Getty Images

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The operator of the Indonesian capital's main airport has apologized to passengers for flooding at its brand new terminal after rains filled drainage pipes and inundated the arrivals area on Sunday.

The $560 million terminal opened last week to domestic flights by national carrier Garuda but has been plagued by complaints about its lack of readiness.

Image:  Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
The check-in hall at the newly opened Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday.BAY ISMOYO / AFP - Getty Images

The airport operator and government hope the new terminal, and a third runway that is under development, will relieve over-crowding at Soekarno-Hatta airport and make Jakarta a rival to Singapore and Bangkok for international stopovers in Southeast Asia.

PT Angkasa Pura II, the airport operator, said it brought the flooding under control within an hour and is investigating the cause.

Local media said drains might have been clogged by construction debris.

Soekarno-Hatta airport handled about 54 million passengers last year, making it the 18th busiest in the world, according to Airports Council International.