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ATARAM: The Lombok International Airport (BIL) in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), should begin operating by October this year. To seize the opportunity, the Provincial administration has pushed to develop the Kuta coastal area, better known as the Mandalika area, along Central Lombok’s southern coast as a Special Economic Zone (KEK) for tourism

“The construction of BIL will be complete and it will start operating in October his year. It will be inaugurated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,” NTB provincial spokesman Lalu M. Faozal told the Post on Thursday.

BIL is in Pujut district, Central Lombok, 40 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital of Mataram. It sits on a 538-hectare plot and was built with Rp 829 billion (US$96.99 million) from the Angkasa Pura state-run airport management company, Rp 110 billion from the provincial administration and Rp 40 billion from the Central Lombok regency administration.

The airport will replace the Selaparang Airport in Mataram, currently the only airport operating in Lombok. — JP