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INDONESIA’S Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi hopes that new passenger terminals at Mopah Airport, Merauke can increase the eastern Indonesian Indonesian connectivity, resulting in the impact on the economic growth of the community. As is known, the new Mopah Airport terminal was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on Sunday 3 October 2021.
According to the Minister of Transportation, said that the airport development was also one of the forms of support for the Ministry of Transportation on the implementation of the XX National Sports Week (PON) and the XVI National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) in Papua.
“We hope that Mopah Airport can serve the athletes and official PON and Peparnas teams well. Mopah Airport itself is one of the airports prepared to support PON and Peparnas activities, in addition to Sentani Airport in Jayapura and Mozes Kilangin Airport in Timika,” he said through press release
The Ministry of Transportation, he continued also ensured the application of a strict health protocol at the airport, such as inspection of body temperature, terminal space disinfectant, and guard the distance. In addition, there is also an increase in service through the arrangement of departure areas, check in counters, runways, and taxiways.
“The development of the Mopah Airport Passenger Terminal was carried out by the Ministry of Transportation through the Directorate General of Air Transportation using the State Budget and Revenue Bill (APBN) allocation of IDR141 billion. The development is the first stage that has been completed from the total three-stage development plans,” said Budi Karya Sumadi.
At present, the passenger terminal at Mopah airport has an area of 7,200 square meters that can serve up to 638,850 passengers per year. Development needs to be done to anticipate an increase in the number of passengers in the future.
Based on data from the Directorate General of Air Transportation, in 2018 the number of passengers at the airport has reached around 440,000 per year. It also to compensate for the ability of the air side of the Mopah Airport who already has a 2,500 x 45-meter runway, so it has been able to be landed by large-bodied aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-900 type and Airbus A320.
In addition to reviewing a new terminal at Mopah Merauke Airport, the Minister of Transportation also reviewed Wamena airport. Wamena Airport is one of the airports in Papua which is a priority for development with a number of other airports, namely New Nabire Airport, Ewer Airport, Kepi Airport, and Mozes Kilangin Airport.
At present Wamena airport has a passenger terminal covering an area of 4,000 square meters, and runway (runway) along 2,275 x 45 meters capable of being landed by the Boeing 737-300 aircraft. In 2021 a development was carried out with a value of IDR50 billion for the manufacture of apron connecting taxi facilities with rigid, and marking.
The Ministry of Transportation continues to build and develop transportation infrastructure facilities in Papua, in line with the implementation of Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 9/2020 concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua Province and West Papua. [bisnis.com/photo special]
