Semarang airport extended

Semarang airport extended

JAKARTA (JP): The A. Yani airport runway in Semarang, Central Java, will be extended by 200 meters to accommodate wider aircraft, an official said.

"The runway is currently about 1,650 meters long. We plan to extend it to 1,850 meters by June so that it can accommodate aircraft like Fokker-28 or Boeing 737," Gatot Soedjantoko, chair of the Central Java chapter of the Ministry of Transportation, was quoted by Antara as saying over the weekend.

Gatot said that the project will cost around Rp 1 billion (US$448,430) and will be financed by the Ministry of Transportation and the Central Java provincial administration.

He also said that by 1998, the length of the runway should reach 2,500 meters.

The Semarang airport currently accommodates 21 flight services on a daily basis, all of which are operated by Garuda Indonesia, Sempati, Mandala, Bourag and Deraya. (hdj)