Hang Nadim Airport near bankruptcy

BATAM, Riau: Hang Nadim Airport manager Imam Soelvan said that lack of airline traffic to the airport and its proximity to Singapore's Changi Airport has made the airport suffer losses of billions of rupiah since it was established in 1983.

He said that the airport had never met its yearly revenue targets. In the last year alone the airport realized only some Rp 9 billion in revenue, far below its target of Rp 18 billion.

"I urge domestic airlines to use Hang Nadim Airport to serve domestic as well as international routes for passengers and cargo, otherwise the airport will face bankruptcy," Imam told The Jakarta Post.

Hang Nadim Airport, which has the longest landing strip in Southeast Asia -- 4,025 meters -- is only 20 kilometers from Changi Airport. It is the third largest airport in the country after Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta and Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali. --JP