Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi inspected the Tebelian Airport, Sintang district, West Kalimantan province ahead of its inauguration by President Joko Widodo on Wednesday.
"I have visited Tebelian Airport to check the condition of the airport’s facilities," he said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.
The construction of the airport began in 2011 and was completed in 2020, he said. The airport was built on 153.6 hectares of land at a cost of around Rp580 billion, he added.
It was built to replace the existing airport -- Susilo Airport -- which cannot be developed further as it is surrounded by residential complexes, he informed.
"The Tebelian Airport is expected to improve air transportation services in Sintang district and its surroundings," the minister said.
Currently, the airport has a 2 thousand square meter (m2) passenger terminal, which can serve 75 thousand passengers per year; a 1,820 m x 30 m runway, which can accommodate ATR 72-600 aircraft; a 160 m x 18 m taxiway, and a 220 m x 60 m apron, which is capable of holding four ATR-72 aircraft, he noted.
During his visit, Sumadi also inspected Pangsuma Airport, which is located in South Putussibau sub-district, Kapuas Hulu district, West Kalimantan.
"I am delighted as this is my first visit to the airport which is located in the Indonesia-Malaysia border region," he remarked.
The Directorate General of Air Transportation of the ministry is planning to improve flight safety and services at the airport to boost the people’s economy in the region, he said.
The airport has a runway spanning 1800 m x 30 m, which can accommodate ATR-72 aircraft, and a passenger terminal covering 1,020 m2, he noted.
The airport was built between 2014 and 2019 at a cost of around Rp48 billion, he informed. In 2021, some more facilities were added to the airport, including runway coating, taxiway, an apron, and standardization of the runway strip, he noted.
In addition to Tebelian Airport and Pangsuma Airport, Rahadi Oesman Airport in Ketapang city and Nanga Pinoh Airport in Melawi district are also being managed by the directorate general in the province, Sumadi said.
The development of the airports is expected to improve connectivity and accessibility in the province, he added.
Meanwhile, West Kalimantan also has one more airport, which is Supadio Airport in Pontianak city, managed by state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II.
