Flight Information
Date: May 7, 2017
Flight No.:Â QZ7556
Route: Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta to Yogyakarta Adisutjipto
Airline:Â Indonesia AirAsia
Type:Â Airbus A320-200
Registration:Â PK-AXV
On my way back from Slovakia to Japan, I took a bit of a roundabout route. First, I flew from Budapest to Jakarta via Helsinki and Bangkok. Then, the final part of the journey was a JAL flight from Jakarta to Tokyo. However, as I had a full day in Jakarta, I decided to make a little side trip to Yogyakarta. To get there, I flew on an Indonesia AirAsia A320.
Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport Terminal 2F
After about two hours of sleep at the d’prima hotel at Jakarta’s terminal 1, the alarm rung at 3:30AM. I left the hotel shortly before 4AM, and go on the 4:04AM (it seems to come rather randomly) inter-terminal shuttle.
I got off at terminal 2F where all AirAsia domestic flights depart from, and headed through the initial security into the domestic check-in area. As I already had my boarding pass printed out, I headed straight through the security and into the small domestic waiting lounge.
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The terminal was surprisingly nice. Besides the usual seats, there were also some relaxation chairs, as well as a water fountain and a charging station.
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I spent some minutes in the main part of the terminal, and then headed to the gate F2 waiting area. Each of the gates is connected to the main waiting area by a walkway. When I got to the gate, a flight to Bali was about to start boarding.
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Departure of Flight QZ7556
Shortly after the Bali flight departed, it was our turn. Boarding of group 1 started at 5:24AM, and less than five minutes later, my group – 3 – followed. I got on a nice AirAsia bus and was driven to our aircraft – PK-AXV.
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Once I got onboard, I settled in my seat – 9F – and had a look in the seat pocket. Besides a generic waste bag and a safety card, it also contained English and Indonesian in-flight magazines, food menu and a shopping catalog.
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The crew closed the door at 5:48AM, and a minute later we were pushed back. Ten minutes of taxiing on a bumpy taxiway followed before we lined up on runway 25R.
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We took off at 6:03AM. A right turn that took us over the airport followed.
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The Short Cruise
Seatbelt signs were switched just three minutes after take-off. A couple of minutes after that, the passengers sitting on the right side of the aircraft got an excellent view of Mount Pangrango and Mount Gede.
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In the meantime, the crew started the in-flight sales. While I did not get anything, below are some sample items from the menu.
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The rest of the flight went by very quickly, as at 6:27AM – less than 30 minutes after take-off – the captain asked the cabin crew to prepare for landing. Two minutes later, an announcement mentioning that removing a life vest from the aircraft was an offence punishable with up to two years in prison and a fine of 200 million rupiah followed.
Then, we started descending and at 6:38AM, the seatbelt signs were switched back on. By this time, amazing cloud formations could be seen through the window.
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Landing in Yogyakarta
Ten minutes after the seatbelt signs were switched on, the landing gear was extended, and we started our final approach.
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About two minutes before landing, we overflew Yogyakarta city.
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Our wheels touched down on Yogyakarta Adisutjipto airport’s runway 09 at 6:53AM. Hard braking action followed before we vacated the runway and taxied past an Azerbaijan Gulfstream to our parking spot, spot 9.
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We parked at 6:57AM, and I got off the aircraft enjoying my first view of Mt. Merapi – the most active volcano in Indonesia. Walking past a row of aircraft, I entered the terminal and met up with my guide for the day.
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