Land acquisition hits airports expansion
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Indonesia's state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I (AP I) says it has delayed expansion of Achmad Yani Airport in Semarang, Central Java, and Syamsuddin Noor Airport in Banjanmarsin, South Kalimantan, due to land acquisition problems.
The problems would delay the completion of the firm’s planned expansion of the company’s major airports by 2013, said AP I spokesperson Miduk Situmorang.
Miduk said that the company planned to acquire a plot in Semarang for a new terminal from the Army. Meanwhile, a plot in Banjarmasin belongs to the municipal government and local residents.
“We are still negotiating for the land with the local government and the people. We do not know when we will reach an agreement, but we are optimistic that we can expand the airport because this is part of our effort to help boost the regional economy,” he added.
He said that the company committed 1.1 trillion rupiah (Bt3.72 billion) to expand the airports.
The development of Achmad Yani Airport requires 600 billion rupiah to construct a new terminal and supporting facilities.
In addition, the company will spend 500 billion rupiah to develop the existing terminal of Syamsuddin Noor Airport. Based on the company’s recent data, both airports have been operating over capacity.
With a capacity to accommodate 600,000 passengers, the Semarang airport has been handling more than 2 million passengers a year.
The same has occurred in Banjarmasin, where the airport handles 3 million passengers a year, well over its rated capacity of 1 million.
