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)