This picture taken on July 11, 2024 shows an aerial view of under-construction buildings at the future capital city of Nusantara in East Kalimantan. - Photo: AFP/Stringer
JAKARTA: Construction of the VVIP airport at the planned future capital of Nusantara has fallen behind schedule and may not be ready in time for the Independence Day ceremony to be held in the under-construction city in Kalimantan.
Confirming the delay on Tuesday (July 23), Air Transportation director general Maria Kristi Endah Murni said VVIP guests invited to the Aug 17 event would be directed to the nearest airport, Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, should the VVIP airport not be ready for use.
There was also Aji Pangeran Tumenggung (APT) Pranoto Airport in Samarinda as an additional option in case more capacity was needed, she said, as reported by Kompas.
“Should the airport in [Nusantata] not be ready on time, given that we cannot force it to be done by August due to weather issues, then Sepinggan Airport and APT Pranoto Airport in Samarinda will serve as backup,” Maria said on Tuesday.
No special measures were required to prepare the airports in Balikpanan and Samarinda, Maria said, as both had adequate runways for the presidential aircraft to land.
However, the security measures for the President, such as road closures, would need to be prepared, as the trip from Sepinggan Airport to Nusantara took about 1.5 hours via the toll road, she added.
Furthermore, Maria mentioned that the VVIP airport could accommodate the President, officials and military aircraft, while regular scheduled flights would serve the ministers and guests from other countries' embassies.
Maria acknowledged that the construction of the VVIP airport designated to serve high-ranking guests has been affected by heavy rainfall over the past few months.
The ministerial official added that four aircraft had been deployed for weather modification in a bid to ensure clear conditions so that construction could be expedited.
Unfavourable weather in the region has also affected other construction work on the capital city project.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said persistent rain in Nusantara had hindered his plans to begin to work out of the city as early as this month.
Initially, Jokowi had proposed moving to Nusantara, seen by many as the President’s key legacy project, in July, apparently assuming the deadline for basic infrastructure development would be met.
“The target was initially slated for July, but we see that it’s raining every day in [Nusantara] now. Really heavy rain,” Jokowi said at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in East Jakarta on July 16, before departing to the United Arab Emirates, kompas.com reported. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
