B

ali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has strongly refused the proposed extension design for Ngurah Rai International Airport, saying it focuses only on commercial sites and lacks the Balinese architectural style.

State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, which manages the airport, submitted a design proposal for the airport extension project in February covering the renovation of both international and domestic terminals.

The project covers upgrades of various supporting facilities, including public service areas and commercial sites.

"The governor did not agree with the plan and urged PT Angkasa Pura I to immediately revise the design," said Bali Transportation Agency head Ida Bagus Parsa.

According to Pastika, the design of the building is not in line with traditional Balinese style.

"The design is too modern," Parsa said.

The Bali provincial administration has long imposed strict architectural regulations in order to maintain the traditional Balinese style.

The design could still be modified to incorporate and represent Balinese architectural elements.

Parsa said public service areas in the current airport were poorly designed and managed.

"Airport buildings must prioritize public facilities and security," he said.

"Governor Pastika was against the company's plan to build a shopping mall within the airport area, while also saying the quality of public services at the airport was still below standard."

Ngurah Rai International Airport was designed to accommodate 11 million passengers a year, but currently only handles 9 million passengers annually.

"The airport services are still poor, waiting rooms, for example, are still far from being comfortable," Parsa said.

Separately, the general manager of PT Angkasa Pura I at the airport, Heru Legowo, said the company was now reviewing the design.

Heru said the development of commercial sites was previously intended to increase the company's income.

"But we will certainly improve our public services," he said.

In regard to the Balinese architectural style, Heru explained that the newly-renovated airport would be designed using a more contemporary style inclusive of traditional Balinese architectural elements.

"The Balinese traditional architectural style would require extra expenses to regularly maintain the building," he said. "We can only try *to renovate* so that visitors still feel the flavor of Bali upon arrival at the airport."

The airport stands on a 295.3-hectare plot of land in the crowded Tuban area near Kuta Beach in the Badung regency. The airport's international terminal covers 63,246 square meters while the domestic terminal covers 10,520 square meters. The expansion project will see both terminals switching locations, as well as the construction of a new 70,000-square-meter international terminal on the site that currently operates as the domestic terminal. The domestic terminal is to be moved to the already spacious current international terminal.