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Govt rushes to finish new airport ahead of Nusantara launch
Nusantara Airport, initially designated to serve only very important guests of the state , is slated for completion by Aug. 1 with a trial run in July, just in time for the country’s Independence Day flag ceremony, which is also the capital’s inauguration day.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inspects on June 5, 2024, the location to be used for the commemoration of Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day celebration in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), the country’s future capital city located in East Kalimantan.
(BPMI Setpres/Rusman)
T
he government is rushing to finish a new airport for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) ahead of the city’s inauguration, but experts warn the breakneck pace could compromise safety and quality.
Nusantara Airport, initially designated to serve only important guests of the state, is slated for completion by Aug. 1 with a trial run in July, according to Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, just in time for an inauguration that will coincide with Independence Day on Aug. 17.
However, the operational certification is still outstanding.
“This is indeed a rush job,” Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) deputy chairman Djoko Setijowarno told The Jakarta Post on Friday. “[But] quality control should not be violated, even though the construction process is racing against time and high rainfall.”
Technical limitations, particularly with regard to runway paving, require time for proper settling, he explained. Rushing these stages could lead to future issues and costly repairs, similar to highway projects that deteriorated shortly after being inaugurated.
“If [the airport’s construction] can’t be expedited, I suggest to just say so. The President’s activities [in the IKN] aren’t so frequent that we need to force this and risk problems later,” said Djoko, who has visited the airport site several times.
Nusantara Airport, construction of which began in November last year, sits on a 347-hectare plot and features a 7,350-square-meter terminal.
