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s commercial aviation grows rapidly, more planes crowd the sky spewing out carbon dioxide, something the government wants to tackle.

Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono plans a broad range of initiatives to create environmentally friendly aviation infrastructure.

The ministry demanded progress on the matter during the 7th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum and Global Consultation of Sustainable Transport in the Post 2015 Development Agenda in Denpasar, Bali, held in Nusa Dua, Bali from April 23 to 25, 2013.

'€œWe are going to have policy dialogues and share knowledge with officials from countries participating in this event and global experts in transportation and environment sectors as well to develop sustainable air transport in Indonesia,'€ Bambang said on the sidelines of the Indonesia Environmental Sustainable Transport Forum, the official pre-event of the 7th EST and Global Consultation.

Twenty five countries across Asia are slated to attend the event: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Japan, India and Iran.

In addition to that, the United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) will assist Indonesia and the Asian countries to formulate integrated policy during the event, he said.

'€œWe will have a declaration on the last day of the event as our commitment that we are all working together to secure a livable environment for our future generations. I do believe that all of us, including the aircraft makers, are supporting the environmentally sustainable initiatives,'€ he said.

Several Indonesian airlines are set to expand their business by adding to their fleet.

Low cost carrier Lion Air has signed a US$24 billion deal with Airbus for 234 single-aisle passenger A320 planes. Last year, the airline signed a $22.4 billion order with Boeing for 230 aircraft from the US-based company.

Meanwhile, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has announced that it will take delivery of 24 new aircraft at a cost of $1.57 billion this year to support expansion of its domestic and international flight service.

The aircraft comprise four Boeing B777-300 ER, 10 B737-800 Next Generation (NG), two Airbus A330-320s, one A330-300s and seven Canadian planes Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen.

'€œWe will encourage airlines in Indonesia to use new types of aircraft that are more friendly to the environment as it will help reduce carbon emissions,'€ Bambang said.

Besides the EST Forum, he said Indonesia would work with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create a range of objectives, including improved legislation on emissions, the promotion of alternative fuels initiatives, and more efficient airspace design.

'€œEnvironmentally sustainable projects will include new airports,'€ he said, adding that Kertajati Airport in West Java and Kulonprogo Airport in Yogyakarta are among the new eco-friendly airports.