Luhut Officially Opens Dhoho Kediri, the First Airport Built Without Government Budget

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, accompanied by Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, inaugurated Dhoho Airport in Kediri Regency, East Java, on Friday (10/18). (Source: BPMI Setwapres)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, accompanied by Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Friday (10/18), inaugurated Dhoho Airport in Kediri regency, East Java province.

According to Luhut, Dhoho Airport is the first pilot project in the country under an unsolicited Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme in which the initiative and funding come from the private sector rather than the State Budget.

“Dhoho Kediri Airport is the first pilot project in Indonesia using the unsolicited PPP scheme. The project initiative comes from the private sector and is supported by the government,” said Minister Luhut.

Luhut also explained that the presence of Dhoho Airport reflects an effective collaboration between the Government and the private sector, adding that that the PPP scheme is capable of addressing Indonesia’s development challenges quickly and efficiently.

Luhut also noted that the inauguration of Dhoho Airport is also an important moment for enhancing connectivity and the economy in the southern part of Java, while expressing belief that the spatial layout in the Kediri area will transform in the coming years, and people will start to enthusiastically use Dhoho Airport for travel.

“In my opinion, this airport is of very high quality. In the future, people will prefer to fly to Kediri rather than to Surabaya,” Luhut explained.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi expressed his appreciation to PT Surya Dhoho Investama (SDhI), a subsidiary of PT Gudang Garam Tbk, which built Dhoho Airport with a total investment of Rp12 trillion.

Budi stated that this is the first time the private sector has dedicated such a large amount of funding for transportation infrastructure in Indonesia.

“Dhoho Airport is proof that the private sector has a strong commitment to building connectivity in the country. We hope this step can be followed by other private entities domestically,” Budi said.

Furthermore, based on surveys conducted, Budi mentioned that there is significant passenger potential from and to Kediri, especially for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. He also encouraged the people of Kediri and surrounding areas to use Dhoho Airport for their journeys to the Holy Land.

“With regard to Hajj and Umrah, we will soon coordinate with Ministry of Religious Affairs. But one thing is certain, I encourage the people of Kediri and its surroundings to undertake their Hajj and Umrah journeys via Dhoho Airport, which is significantly closer than Juanda Airport in Surabaya,” Minister Budi added.

Budi also mentioned that Dhoho Airport is not only a symbol of transportation infrastructure advancement but is also expected to bring significant economic and social impacts to the Kediri region and its surroundings.

Specifically, the airport is expected to open new business opportunities and create more jobs in various sectors, such as transportation, tourism, and hospitality, while also supporting other sectors like agriculture, livestock, and plantations.

“I am confident that Dhoho Airport will have an extraordinary impact on economic growth in the Kediri region. Therefore, I strongly hope that the Kediri Regional Government will actively promote the airport’s presence,” Budi concluded.

For the record, Dhoho Airport has a runway that is 3,300 meters long and 45 meters wide, allowing it to accommodate wide-body aircraft. Since its soft launch on April 5, 2024, the airport has served more than 20,000 passengers and had 175 aircraft movements.

Meanwhile, following the airport inauguration, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the start of construction on the access toll road that will connect Dhoho Airport with Kediri City.

The presence of this access toll road is expected to make it easier for people to reach the airport and vice versa. (Ministry of Transportation/ABD) (AS/EP)