TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expected the expansion project of Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo to become an international airport would be completed in 2020 in order to boost the tourism sector in the region.

The President instructed Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi to immediately kick off the project construction. “We want to quickly expand the airport terminals and runways. Hopefully, that will be finished next year,” he said during his visit in Labuan Bajo, as quoted from the press release of Transportation Ministry, Wednesday, July 10.

Jokowi projected the international airport would have unique management and broad connectivity. “So tourists will instantly get attracted to come here,” he added.

Meanwhile, Minister Budi said that the government was focusing to develop transportation infrastructure to support tourism, such as upgrading Komodo airport to be an international one.

“Particularly, Labuan Bajo has advantages due to its remarkable nature. The community activity, cultures, and tourism have developed well. So we have to provide better infrastructure there,” Budi Karya underlined.

The minister pledged the airport runway expansion would complete in mid-2020 to accommodate big aircrafts such as Airbus 320. Therefore, the passenger capacity could increase to 3.5 million per year.

“Inshallah (God willing), the runway will span 2,450 meters in the middle of next year, by means Airbus 320 will fully landing,” he added.

Budi Karya went on to say that the project would apply the government-to-business partnership cooperation (KPBU) with 25 years of cooperation.

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