Haj airport in S. Kalimantan

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan (JP): The provincial legislative council here wants to turn Syamsuddin Noor Airport into a departure point for haj pilgrims, Antara said on Friday.

Currently, people in the province have to fly to Batam first in order to perform the pilgrimage.

Members of the council proposed a team to look into the possibility, including the prospect of expanding the airport.

Syamsuddin Noor Airport in Banjarbaru is not built to handle wide-body planes such as B-767s and MD-11s, which are normally used to transport haj pilgrims from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia. (07)