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)