Yogyakarta to get new airport

Yogyakarta’s Adisutjipto airport will be relocated due to the skyrocketing number of passengers every year.

“We are studying two options — Gadingsari, Sanden in Bantul regency and Temon in Kuloprogo regency. [The relocation] is urgent and we’ll make sure we find the new place this year,” House of Representatives’ infrastructure commission lawmaker Gandung Pardiman said in Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Saturday.

Gandung said that the relocation was necessary because it was almost impossible to expand the airport, which accommodates civil and military flights.

“The airport is surrounded by densely populated residential areas. That would make expanding the airport difficult,” Gandung said.

He said that the number of passengers at the airport would increase by 10 percent every year. The airport received 3,488,500 domestic passengers and 206,500 foreign passengers in 2010.

Gandung said that many investors had expressed interest in investing in the new airport.

Bantul secretary Riyantono welcomed the plan, saying that Bantul had the capacity to accommodate the new airport.

“However, we are still waiting for the results of the study to determine whether or not Bantul is a feasible location for the new airport,” Riyantono said. (swd)