Govt prepares tender for airport expansion project

Govt prepares tender for airport expansion project

JAKARTA (JP): The government is preparing the tender for the
expansion of Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Bali, said a
transportation official.

I Dewa Putu Suma, the ministry of transportation's provincial
office head in Bali, said the second and third phase of the
expansion would start on April 1.

Sources, however, said that the project would not start until
after the May general election because the tender process would
take time.

Dewa said the second and third phase of the airport's
expansion would be jointly conducted with Japanese contractors.
The project is estimated to cost Rp 500 billion (US$208.68
million) and will be partially financed by Japan's Overseas
Economic Development Fund, he said.

He said bidders for the project included several international
firms, but he declined to name any.

The expansion is aimed to anticipate the increase in travelers
and commercial activities every year.

The first phase of the project was carried out last year to
enable the airport to accommodate 4.5 million people a year,
until 2000.

The number of travelers reached 5.1 million last year from 4.8
million in 1995, and is expected to increase to 5.2 million this
year.

Dewa said the airport would be able to accommodate 9.5 million
people by 1999 upon the completion of the second phase. The
capacity will increase to 13.2 million people in 2005 on the
completion of the third phase.

Ngurah Rai airport now serves 60,993 flights from 25 airlines,
37,808 of which are domestic and 23,185 are international. (02)