TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism Ministry said the government planned to develop Komodo Airport in West Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara as an international airport in a bid to expand tourism destination in Labuan Bajo.

“The airport capacity will be developed, so wide-body aircraft can land,” said Tourism Ministry's Head of Development of Priority Tourism Destination, Hiramsyah S. Thaib in Central Jakarta, Wednesday, May 9.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan held a meeting regarding tourism destination in Labuan Bajo yesterday on May 9. Other than Hiramsyah, attending the meeting were National Development Planning (Bappenas) Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro and Transportation Ministry’s Directorate General of Air Transportation Head Agus Santoso.

Previously, the central government set four of ten regions as priority tourism destinations which President Jokowi suggested as the 'new Bali' in a closed meeting at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on November 16, 2017. The four tourism destinations are Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, and Labuan Bajo.

Agus stated the government also planned to extend the runway. “Now, the runway length is 2,250 meters. In the second stage it will be 3,000 meters and then 3,200 meters,” he added.

According to Agus, the airport development opened the potential partnership as it attracted many foreign and domestic developers to invest in Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo. However, the partnership is only in the matter of airport operational. “It needs to be underlined that it is funding investment. The airport still belongs to Indonesia,” he asserted.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA