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fter further development at the Kalimarau airport in Tanjung Redep district, the Berau regency administration, East Kalimantan, plans to build another airport on Maratua Island in its bid to help boost the region’s tourism industry potential.

Berau Regent Makmur said the construction of the airport was scheduled to commence by the end of next year, adding that the land required for building had been prepared and the construction blueprint was already complete.

“The funds will be derived from the state, provincial and regency budgets,” Makmur told The Jakarta Post during a recent visit to Maratua Island.

Maratua is a 2,200 hectare island in the Sulawesi Strait bordering Malaysia and the Philippines.

Makmur said the project was part of the provincial administration’s program to develop tourism in Maratua, Derawan and Kakaban islands.

“With the presence of the airport in Maratua, visitors could benefit from direct flights from Balikpapan without wasting time on overland travel and sea cruises,” he said.

To reach Maratua, which is known for its rich marine biota and exotic turtles, visitors must land at the Kalimarau airport and take a speedboat with capacity for 30 passengers from Tanjung Redep for a round trip tariff of Rp 4 million (about US$454). The trip takes four hours.

Visitors can also travel to Maratua through Tanjung Batu Port. To get there, visitors must travel by private taxi from Kalimarau airport at a fare of Rp 300,000, while the round trip speed boat ride from Tanjung Batu to Maratua is Rp 1 million.

Berau regency spokesman Mappasikra said that in addition to developing new facilities at the Kalimarau airports, the administration was also building roads and a harbor in Tanjung Batu.

“We can start enjoying the new facilities at the Kalimarau airport in August,” he said, adding that the projects were being carried out by construction firm PT Total Bangun Persada.

Among the new facilities are a waiting lounge with capacity for 700 people, an executive lounge, escalators and luggage conveyor belts. The airport is also equipped with a 2,250-meter runway and space of more than 13,000 square meters capable of accommodating Boeing 737-900 ER (214-passenger) and Airbus A320 jetliners.

A Boeing 737-200 owned by Trigana Air Service has had a trial run at the new airport and opened the Berau-Balikpapan-Banjarmasin-Semarang route on March 14. Sriwijaya Air will serve the Jakarta-Yogyakarta-Surabaya-Kalimarau route.

Mappasikra said the Tanjung Batu Port project would use facilities from the 2008 National Games.

“According to the plan, state-run shipping line PT Pelni will immediately operate the Berau-Parepare-Surabaya-Jakarta ferry route. The immigration office will also open an office around the port,” he said, adding that the government would also build hotels, restaurants and a golf course around Tanjung Batu Port.

“An investor will build a hotel around the port. A 200-hectare golf course has also been planned in Semanting village, Derawan district,” he said.

Mappasikra said his office expects tourist arrivals to Berau this year would rise to 4,000 visitors, up from 3,700 in 2010.