Garuda to try MD-11ER in Solo
Garuda to try MD-11ER in Solo
JAKARTA (JP): National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will fly
its new MD-11ER jet next week to Adisumarmo airport in Solo,
Central Java, which has extended its runway to 3.6 kilometers.
Director General of Air Transportation Zainuddin Sikado said
yesterday the trial wide-body jet landing and take-off was
scheduled for Feb 24, a week later than originally scheduled.
"We had to postpone for best results," he said at the halal-
bihalal (Idul Fitri celebration) gathering at Garuda's
headquarters.
He said the Adisumarmo airport had been expanded to an
international airport.
The Adisumarmo airport was expanded by PT Yala Perkasa
Internasional, a PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada affiliate, a
private company owned by President Soeharto's eldest daughter,
Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.
State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I extended the
runway. The runway's 45-meter width is unchanged.
The airport's apron has been expanded from 14,000 square
meters to 27,000 square meters and can accommodate two MD-11 jets
or Boeing B-747 jets or DC-10 aircraft at the same time.
An MD-11 jet with 385 passengers can now land at the airport.
The first phase of the airport's expansion cost Rp 28 billion
(US$11.65 million) -- Lamtoro Gung paid 60.7 percent of this
while the remaining 39.3 percent was state budget funded.
The Adisumarmo expansion project is based on a 20-year joint
operation contract. Revenues will be split between Lamtoro Gung
and PT Angkasa Pura I.
Indonesia has declared 23 airports as gateways and tourist
entry points in a bid to boost tourism. Less than half of the
international airports have adequate facilities and
infrastructure.
The Adisumarmo expansion is the first joint plan between the
government and a private firm to development an airport. The
government aims to expand Adisumarmo's capacity to accommodate
two million passengers a year by 2000. The airport is expected to
become a transit terminal and the main gateway to Central Java
and Yogyakarta.
Citra Lamtoro also plans to build a 30-kilometer toll-road
linking Solo and Yogyakarta.
Sikado said Adisumarmo airport would become Indonesia's sixth
airport serving haj pilgrims this year.
Last year, haj pilgrims left and returned to Indonesia from
five airports. They were Halim Perdanakusumah airport in Jakarta,
Juanda airport in Surabaya, East Java, Hasanuddin airport in
Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, Polonia airport in Medan, North
Sumatra, and Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.
Garuda director of operations Dharmadi said yesterday Garuda
would deploy 281 ground crews, 1,100 air crews and 24 jets with
an annual capacity of 220,000 seats to transport haj pilgrims.
This year Garuda plans to transport 21,850 haj pilgrims in 63
groups from Adisumarmo airport, 36 groups from Polonia airport in
Medan, North Sumatra, 189 groups from Halim Perdanakusuma airport
in Jakarta; 86 groups from Juanda airport in Surabaya, East Java.
The airline will also fly 61 groups from Hasanuddin airport in
Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi and 39 groups from Sepinggan airport
in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.
Departures are scheduled between March 15 and April 10, while
return flights will be between April 22 and May 18. This makes
this year's haj pilgrimage period 27 days, two days shorter than
last year. (icn)