Lombok's new int'l airport on track

Antara, Mataram

Known for the major potential of its tourism sector, West Nusa Tenggara is writing a new chapter in Indonesian aviation history with the construction of Lombok International Airport in Central Lombok regency.

"We have awaited for 12 long years since it was first planned in 1993, and now the physical construction of the golden gateway to the province is actually happening," said West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Serinata on Wednesday in Praya, Central Lombok, some 30 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Mataram.

Serinata told reporters that the international airport was crucial for encouraging development and better welfare for the province's people.

The population density in Mataram city and Lombok stands at 625 per square kilometer, which implies that in the agricultural sector each hectare of land must support three families.

"For this reason, we have to develop other sectors to improve public welfare, such as the tourism and marine sectors, which need to be supported by an international airport," said Serinata.

Separately, Suwetja Putra, general manager of the state-owned airport management company PT Angkasa Pura, which operates Selaparang Airport, said an international airport in the province had long been hoped for, adding that Selaparang Airport in Mataram was already operating beyond capacity.

Selaparang Airport now handles 34 flights per day, or 1,200 passengers, two flights of which are direct international flights from Malaysia and Singapore.

He said that in to break even -- the airport loses some Rp 5 billion (US$500,000) per year -- at least 30 percent of all flights would need to be direct international flights.

It is hoped that the international airport, which will cost Rp 625 billion to complete, will serve new international routes to Bangkok, Taiwan, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, Darwin and Manila, as well as taking haj pilgrims to Jeddah.

The sod-turning ceremony for the new airport took place in August despite a land dispute that ended up in clashes between farmers and police in September. At least 27 farmers were injured in the clashes but no fatalities were reported.