JAKARTA (ANN/JAKARTA POST) – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced that the new airport in Nusantara, East Kalimantan, will be capable of serving millions of passengers once it becomes operational.
Jokowi made his inaugural landing at the airport at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, arriving on a BAe 146-200 after visiting Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The quad-engine short-haul aircraft is manufactured by British Aerospace.
Upon landing in Nusantara, the outgoing president, who will be leaving office next month, inspected the airport’s facilities and addressed the media.
“I have instructed the transportation minister to convert this airport into a commercial hub for the public, specifically for haj and umrah flights,” Jokowi stated. He projected that the airport could accommodate around 200,000 passengers by the end of this year, with a long-term goal of serving up to 7 million once fully operational as a commercial airport.
However, commercial operations will only commence following the issuance of a presidential regulation (perpres), the president noted, without specifying whether he would sign such a policy. A perpres from last year designated the airport in Nusantara as a “special airport” for government purposes.
“This airport shouldn’t just cater to VVIPs. I want it to be more beneficial for those traveling for umrah, haj, or commuting to and from Nusantara,” Jokowi added.
Regarding his landing experience, the president remarked, “The landing was smooth.”
The Nusantara airport features a runway measuring 2,200 meters long and 30 meters wide, complemented by a 7.5-meter shoulder and a taxiway of 153 by 23 meters. These dimensions are adequate for small aircraft like the BAe-146, which requires a takeoff distance of 1,390 meters and a landing distance of 1,190 meters.
However, the current runway is insufficient for larger aircraft, such as the Boeing Business Jet 2, which is based on the Boeing 737-800 Next Generation. The 737-800 requires a takeoff distance of 2,300 meters and a landing distance of 2,000 meters due to its maximum takeoff weight of 79,000 kilograms.
In recent weeks, officials from the Transportation Ministry and the Air Force have conducted takeoff and landing trials using various aircraft, from light transport planes like the CASA C-212 to heavier ones like the C-130 Hercules. The Air Force confirmed that the runway’s asphalt quality meets necessary standards, with successful stops achieved during trials.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi previously stated that the airport’s verification and calibration stages were completed before the first business jet landed there on September 19. He affirmed that the results met aviation security and safety standards.
