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TRANSPORTATION Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stated that the IKN Nusantara Airport is being prepared for a large aircraft landing trial to improve the accessibility of air transportation in the region.
“After the Presidential Aircraft RJ85 landing last month, Nusantara Airport will conduct another landing trial for a larger aircraft type,” the minister revealed during his visit to Nusantara Airport in East Kalimantan on Sunday (09/6), 2024.
Sumadi remarked that the length of the runway at Nusantara Airport currently reaches 2,200 meters, with a width of 45 meters.
“Currently, the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry has increased the thickness of the runway area, with a completion target on October 10, 2024,” he noted in a statement from his office.
His side would also verify the feasibility of the runway for aircraft landing. “The construction of this runway will be completed on October 10 and will be followed by a landing test in the afternoon,” Sumadi stated.
Earlier, the RJ85-type Presidential Aircraft made a successful landing at Nusantara Airport, taking President Joko Widodo on a working visit to several areas in Kalimantan.
After the airport runway’s thickness and width are increased, it will be ready for the Presidential Aircraft Boeing Business Jet 737-800, which is larger than the RJ85.
“Before the president’s plane lands, we will conduct a proving flight with a similar aircraft, a similar scheme used for the RJ85 landing at Nusantara Airport,” the minister remarked.
On that occasion, Sumadi also reviewed the progress in the construction of the airport terminal along with three architects of Nusantara Airport: Yori Antar, Adi Purnomo, and Reza Wahjudi.
He ensured the terminal’s construction would align with IKN’s grand concept of being nature- and environment-friendly and highlight Kalimantan’s culture.
Construction of the IKN airport is targeted for completion on December 31, 2024, with a runway of three thousand meters and a terminal building area of 7,350 m². Nusantara Airport will later be able to serve the landing of aircraft of up to the largest types of B-777 300 ER and A380. [antaranews/photo special]
