The Indonesian Air Force declared on Wednesday that none of its airbases had been sold to private parties. It refuted allegations made by a House of Representatives (DPR) legislator that a plot of land belonging to it had been acquired by a foreign airline for commercial purposes.



'It's not true,' Air Force chief of staff Air Marshal Agus Supriatna said on Wednesday.



Air Force spokesperson Air Comr Dwi Badarmanto said the force's property formed part of the state's defenses and should not be sold to anybody.



Dwi acknowledged, however, that the Air Force had leased a 20-hectare plot of land at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase for use as a public airport to assist the already crowded Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten, in hosting a huge number of commercial flights.



House legislator Fahri Hamzah claimed via Twitter on Sunday that an airbase had been bought by a foreign airline. He did not mention which airbase, but was likely referring to Halim Perdanakusuma.