Govt to Upgrade Capacity of Bangka Belitungs Depati Amir Airport
President Jokowi takes a photo with some passengers at Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang, Thursday (14/3). (Photo by: Rahmat/PR)
The Government is committed to increasing the capacity of Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung provincial capital.
The airport, which has been in operation since 2017, is expected to accommodate three million passengers next year from the current capacity of 1.5 million passengers per year.
The airport is one of the two main airports in the province, with the other being H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin International Airport in Belitung.
The new terminal is expected to be able to accommodate three million passengers and the construction will be completed in 2020, the President told reporters after inaugurating the new terminal of the airport on Thursday (14/3).
The President went on to say that he has also ordered the development of the left wing terminal, in addition to the right wing, making the total capacity of five million passengers combined. According to him, the construction of left wing terminal is to anticipate the number of passengers that is expected to grow in the coming years.
President Jokowi previously inaugurated Tanjung Kelayang Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the province. The President expressed optimism that more tourists will flock to the region following the development of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and other SEZs.
We need to prepare this to boost economy in the region. Earlier, Bangka Belitung Governor conveyed that the provinces regional own-source revenue (PAD) has increased by up to 300 percent thanks to the Tanjung Kelayang SEZ, he said, adding that many investors have expressed interests to build hotels in the SEZ and the total investment is targeted to reach Rp9 trillion. (UN/RAH/ES)
Translated by: Muhardi
Edited by: M. Ersan Pamungkas
