Soekarno Hatta International Airport (CGK) is Jakarta's main airport and Indonesia's busiest, the gateway most travellers from Malaysia land at when they fly to the capital. Despite the Jakarta name, it lies just outside the city, in the Benda district of Tangerang City in Banten province, bordering Cengkareng in West Jakarta. Central Jakarta is roughly 17 to 20 km to the east-southeast. Indonesians often shorten the name to Soetta, and you may also hear it called Cengkareng.

The airport has three passenger terminals. Terminal 1 handles domestic flights only. Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 both handle domestic and international flights, and Terminal 3 is where most full-service international carriers, including Malaysia Airlines, are found. Jakarta has a second airport too, Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport (HLP) in East Jakarta, so confirm which one your ticket shows. The airport is run by InJourney Airports (PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia), a state-owned company.

Terminals and airlines at Soekarno Hatta Airport

Terminals 1 and 2 were designed by the French architect Paul Andreu in an Indonesian pavilion style, set among tropical gardens, which is why the airport is often called an airport in a garden. Terminal 3 is a separate building with a different design. The airline lists below follow the airport's own airline directory. Terminal assignments at Soekarno Hatta are known to shift, so treat the terminal on your e-ticket as the final word.

Terminal 1 (domestic)

Terminal 1 is used for flights within Indonesia. It is split into areas such as 1A and 1B, and the Skytrain shelter sits in the Terminal 1B parking area. These passenger airlines are listed at Terminal 1:

• Airfast Indonesia
• Citilink
• Lion Air (domestic flights)
• NAM Air
• Sriwijaya Air
• Trigana Air

Lion Air appears twice in the directory. Its domestic flights are listed at Terminal 1. The airport's own guidance is not fully consistent about where Citilink's international flights are handled, so if you are flying Citilink from abroad, check the terminal shown on your e-ticket.

Terminal 2 (domestic and international)

Terminal 2 is the one most travellers from Malaysia on low-cost tickets will see. AirAsia from Malaysia lands here, and so does Batik Air Malaysia. Batik Air and Super Air Jet are listed here too. The directory lists these passenger airlines at Terminal 2:

• AirAsia (Malaysia)
• Indonesia AirAsia
• Thai AirAsia
• Batik Air
• Batik Air Malaysia
• BBN Airlines
• Cebu Pacific
• IndiGo
• Lion Air (international flights)
• Thai Lion Air
• Scoot
• Super Air Jet
• VietJet Air

Several of these brands have sister airlines with similar names. Your booking names the airline that actually operates the flight, and that is the check-in counter to look for.

Terminal 3 (domestic and international)

Terminal 3 is the home of Garuda Indonesia. Malaysia Airlines and most other full-service foreign carriers fly from here, along with Pelita Air and TransNusa. The directory places these passenger airlines at Terminal 3:

• Air China
• Air India
• Air Macau
• All Nippon Airways
• Asiana Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• China Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Southern Airlines
• EgyptAir
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• EVA Air
• Garuda Indonesia
• Hainan Airlines
• Japan Airlines
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Korean Air
• Loong Air
• Malaysia Airlines
• Oman Air
• Pelita Air
• Philippine Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Brunei Airlines
• Saudia
• Shandong Airlines
• Sichuan Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines
• Starlux Airlines
• Thai Airways
• TransNusa
• Turkish Airlines
• Uzbekistan Airways
• Vietnam Airlines
• Xiamen Airlines

Bus ticket counters sit in the Terminal 3 domestic arrival lobby, and the Skytrain stop is on the mezzanine floor, so onward connections start inside the building.

Moving between terminals at Soekarno Hatta

A free Skytrain, called Kalayang in Indonesian, links Terminals 1, 2 and 3 with the Airport Railway Station. It runs landside, so you use it before check-in or after you leave arrivals. Board it from the Skytrain shelter in the Terminal 1B parking area or from the mezzanine floor at Terminal 3.

There is also a free shuttle bus between the terminals, which you can catch from the departure areas of Terminal 1A and 1B. If you are changing from an international arrival at Terminal 3 to a domestic flight at Terminal 1, plan for the transfer and for re-checking your bags if your tickets are separate.

Getting to and from Soekarno Hatta Airport

Road traffic around Jakarta can be heavy, so the way you travel into the city matters. Fares are shown at the station, the counter or in each operator's app.

Airport train

The Soekarno Hatta Airport Rail Link, run by KAI Commuter, links the airport with BNI City and Manggarai in central and south Jakarta. First take the Skytrain to the Airport Railway Station, which is the first stop from Terminal 1 and the second from Terminal 3. The train journey takes about 40 to 55 minutes, and because it runs on rails rather than roads, it is not held up by traffic jams.

Airport bus

DAMRI, Transjakarta airport routes, Primajasa and other operators run buses from Soekarno Hatta to Jakarta and to surrounding cities. At Terminal 1, buses leave from shelters in the Terminal 1B arrival area. At Terminal 3, buy your ticket at the bus counters in the domestic arrival lobby. Journey times depend on traffic, so leave plenty of time when you are heading back to catch a flight.

Taxi and ride-hailing

Regular taxis and app-based online taxis pick up from the arrival areas of each terminal. They are the easiest choice with heavy bags or a group, but the drive time varies a great deal with the time of day.

Parking at Soekarno Hatta Airport

Each of the three terminals has its own parking area. Regular daily parking, overnight parking and subscription parking are offered, so you can choose based on how long you will be away. Rates are not listed here because they change. Check them at the car park entrance or on the airport's website before you leave your car.

Facilities at Soekarno Hatta Airport

All three terminals are well served. The topics below follow what travellers from Malaysia ask about most. The airport does not publish which floor holds check-in, departures and arrivals, so follow the signs inside each terminal.

Lounges

Soekarno Hatta has both pay-per-use and airline lounges. The airport lists Blue Sky Premier lounges in Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and the Saphire Premium Plaza Lounge in Terminals 2 and 3. The Garuda Executive Lounge is on the mezzanine departure level of Terminal 3, and Batik Air has a business class lounge in Terminal 2. Access depends on your ticket, status or a paid pass.

Food and drink

Restaurants, coffee shops and snack outlets are open in all three terminals, both before security in the check-in halls and after security in the boarding lounges. Eat landside if someone is seeing you off, or wait until you are through and closer to the gate.

Shopping and duty free

Shops are spread across all three terminals, landside and airside. Duty free is mainly in the international area of Terminal 3, with some in Terminal 2. For gifts, look out for the souvenir, handicraft and batik shops found in every terminal.

Smoking areas

Each terminal has designated smoking areas. In Terminal 2 they are in the departure halls and arrival lobbies, and in Terminal 3 they are near several of the boarding gates.

Luggage storage

If you want to leave your bags, there are lockers on the arrival side of Terminals 1 and 2 and a left-luggage service in the Terminal 3 domestic arrival hall. All of them are landside.

Prayer rooms

Prayer rooms (musholla) are at both departure and arrival in Terminals 1 and 2. Mosques also serve all three terminals, including one at the Terminal 2 Umrah lounge and others in the Terminal 3 parking buildings.

Money exchange and ATMs

ATMs are in all three terminals. Money changers are in Terminal 2 and in the Terminal 3 international check-in and arrival halls, which is handy if you land without rupiah.

Wifi, charging and rest

WiFi is available around the clock in the departure and arrival areas of every terminal. Free charging stations are in the departure halls, boarding lounges and baggage claim areas. Massage chairs are set out in the boarding lounges, but the airport's rest areas are marked as temporarily closed, so check before you count on one for a long layover. A shower room is available at Terminal 1 arrival.

Families and accessibility

Lactation rooms are in all three terminals, and family toilets are in Terminals 1 and 3. Baby strollers are offered at Terminal 1. Accessible toilets, priority lifts and seats, drop-off and pick-up zones for passengers with disabilities, and buggy assistance are available, and Terminal 3 has a special-needs assistance desk. The children's Kids Zone play areas are temporarily closed. Hotels near the airport are an option if you have an early start.

Tips for departing and arriving at Soekarno Hatta Airport

Check your terminal before you leave, then add a generous buffer for the road. The airport advises passengers to arrive early enough to finish check-in, and your airline's own check-in deadline always applies. Online check-in is available for Terminal 1 flights, which can save time at the counter.

If you are flying in from Malaysia, you will clear immigration and customs on arrival at Terminal 2 or Terminal 3, depending on your airline. Indonesia's entry rules, including visas and any arrival declaration, are set by the government, so check the official guidance for your passport before you travel. For live departure and arrival times, open the Traveloka flight status page.

Flights and flight schedule from Soekarno Hatta Airport

The fare cards on this page show fares from Jakarta to popular destinations, and the flight schedule tables list upcoming departures and arrivals at CGK by date, with airline and scheduled times. They give a selection of flights to help you plan, not a complete timetable.

Choose your route and travel dates, compare the airlines and times, and note the terminal each airline uses at Soekarno Hatta. Not ready to book? Set a Price Alert and Traveloka will tell you when the fare moves. Once you book, your e-ticket comes by email and in the app.

Popular routes from Soekarno Hatta Airport include:

• Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur flights
• Jakarta to Penang flights
• Jakarta to Johor Bahru flights
• Jakarta to Kota Kinabalu flights
• Jakarta to Kuching flights
• Jakarta to Singapore flights
• Jakarta to Bali flights
• Jakarta to Yogyakarta flights

Heading home to Malaysia or onward across Indonesia, you can compare flights from Soekarno Hatta Airport on Traveloka and pick the one that suits your trip.