Council wants Medan airport relocated immediately

Council wants Medan airport relocated immediately

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

The planned relocation of the Polonia international airport
located in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan seems
urgent but the government is acting slowly in carrying out the
plan.

The provincial legislative council questioned the government's
seriousness in relocating the airport. The relocation was planned
seven years ago and the council says the delay proves that the
government is not serious about improving the airline industry in
the province.

"The government could use the annual profit of the company
managing the airport, state-owned company PT Angkasa Pura II, to
develop a new and efficient airport located at the city's
outskirts," Chairman of the Commission IV on transportation at
the provincial legislature, Amran Y.S, said in a hearing with
chief of the local transportation office, Farhan Tanjung, here on
Thursday.

He cited that Angkasa Pura II has gained an average of Rp 120
billion (US$14.8 million) in annual profit from running the
airport.

The relocation of the airport, which is currently situated
only hundreds of meters away from the city center, is considered
urgent since the airport can no longer accommodate the crowds of
passengers that frequent the airport on weekends and during the
holiday seasons of June and December.

The airport, which was constructed by the Dutch in 1936, is
surrounded by multi-story buildings. Residents complain of noise
from the departure and landing of planes and traffic jams in the
city.

A great number of foreign and local airlines use the airport.
Among them: Singapore Airline (SIA), Malaysian Airline (MAS),
Garuda, Merpati Nusantara Airline (MNA), Jatayu, Batavia, Lion,
Pelita and Star Air.

Councillors also questioned the political commitment of the
Deli Serdang regency's administration in its failure to exercise
its authority and relocate the airport.

"The provincial and regency administrations are waiting for
the green light from the central government. But due to regional
autonomy, the regency administration doesn't need approval from
the central government," said a member of the provincial
legislature's commission.

He added that, besides solving the problems caused by the
airport's current position, the relocation would be beneficial to
people living close to the proposed new location and create job
opportunities.

The regency administration has prepared more than 5,000
hectares of land in Kuala Namu, 30 kilometers south of the city,
for the project but financial incapacity has meant a seven year
delay in its realization.

Farhan admitted that the delay in the relocation of the
airport is related to financial problems. He said that the
provincial administration has set up a small team to seek foreign
investors.

"If the government provides funds we will carry out the
project but the government has not provided sufficient money," he
said. He did know if the government's annual revenue, from
running the airport, could cover the cost of relocation.

However, he said that besides domestic companies, two foreign
investors from France and Germany have expressed interest in
taking part in the project, "but the final decision is in the
hands of the central government. Our role is only to provide land
for the project."

Chief of Angkasa Pura II's branch in Medan, A. Subagyo, said
the planned relocation of the airport was indeed urgent, the
current airport could not accommodate the crowd of passengers
expected during the holiday season this month.

"The air service connecting the city with other cities in the
country, Singapore and Malaysia, is inefficient because too many
foreign and domestic airlines operate from the airport," he said.