Manado airport to be expanded

MANADO, North Sulawesi: The runway at the Sam Ratulangi airport will be extended later this year from 2,500 to 3,000 meters in anticipation of increased traffic by business executives between Manado and cities in the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

The head of the North Sulawesi Transportation Office, Freddy Rorimpandey, said Sam Ratulangi airport should be able to accommodate wide-bodied jets such as Boeing 747s, DC-10s and MD- 11s by next year.

The runway extension project will begin later this year. The construction of the first 150 additional meters will be funded by the Asia Development Bank, and an additional 350 meters will be funded by through the state budget, Rorimpandey told Antara

He said the expansion has been prompted in part by the newly established economic cooperation program linking the eastern part of Indonesia with territories in Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. The Royal Brunei airline plans to begin regular services between Bandar Sri Begawan and Manado this November.

North Sulawesi is also upgrading the capacity of its Bitung port, he added. (emb)