60 small airports to be expanded

60 small airports to be expanded

JAKARTA (JP): The government will expand 60 small airports,
mostly in the eastern region of the country, to enable them to
accommodate aircraft of up to the N-250 airplane.

Director General of Air Transportation Zainuddin Sikado told
reporters yesterday that the extension of airport runways, aimed
at increasing air services and boosting tourism, will be
carried out under the medium and long-term airport development
program.

Sikado added that several airstrips in Java would also be
evaluated for possible expansion to ease land traffic on the
densely-populated island.

"We will soon conduct feasibility studies on the airports in
Tegal and Cepu in Central Java and Jember and Madura in East
Java," he said.

He said the government would give high priority to the
expansion of some 40 airports in the eastern region to facilitate
air transport between the eastern islands.

"The 40 airports in the eastern region will be expanded to be
capable of handling aircraft of either the CN-235 or N-250
types," he said.

CN-235 is a 35-seat commuter plane manufactured by the
Bandung-based PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN), which
is headed by Minister of Research and Technology Minister B.J.
Habibie, in a joint venture with the Spanish CASA.

IPTN also is solely developing N-250, a medium-haul 70-seat
commuter plane which will make its trial flight in August and
enter commercial service next year.

"The eastern areas, notably Kupang in Timor and several areas
in Irian Jaya, are very attractive to foreign visitors. But the
development of the local tourism industry has been hindered by
inadequate air transport facilities as most of the local airports
are able to accommodate airplanes only of the 12-seat Cassa 212
aircraft," Sikado added.

The N-250 aircraft needs runways as long as 1,500 meters while
most of the airports in Indonesia, notably in the eastern region,
are currently less than 1,000 meters in length.

"Around 70 percent of the investments needed for the airport
expansion program will be put up by private investors and the
remaining 30 percent by the government," he said.

He added that the Asia Development Bank is conducting a
feasibility study on airport expansions in Manado in North
Sulawesi, Ambon in Maluku, Pontianak in West Kalimantan, Padang
in West Sumatra and Sorong in Irian Jaya.

Indonesia has more than 100 airports and airstrips of various
types, 19 of which are international gateways. (icn)