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rivate investors have threatened to cancel plans to build a special airport in Bintan regency, Riau Islands province, as the central government has yet to green-light the Rp 3 trillion (US$322 million) construction project.

The investors, PT Bintan Inti Industrial Estate (BIIE) and PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala (BRC), said the Transportation Ministry had yet to issue a permit for the project.

BIIE General Manager Jamin Hidayat told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that they have been waiting for more than a year for the permit to construct the airport, planned to be built on the northern part of the island, for industrial and tourism purposes.

He said the airport would be specially built for import and export purposes for the Bintan industrial area and cater to tourists vacationing at the Lagoi international tourist resort. "We might as well cancel the project because we have been waiting for the permit for more than a year now," he said.

"We don't know why the ministry has yet to issue an approval to build the airport." BRC manages a 23,000-hectare resort area in Lagoi while BIIE handles an industrial area spanning 3,000 hectares.

According to the plan, the airport would be equipped with a 2,200-meter-long runway that could accommodate Boeing 737 jet planes.

The investors had expected to commence the airport's construction by the end of 2008. BRC vice president director Brig. Gen. (ret.) Chin Chow Yoon told the Post recently that BRC had initially set aside S$50 million for the airport project.

"We have applied for the permit to build the special airport from the Indonesian government," said Chin, formerly a highly ranked Singaporean army officer.

Chin said the airport was crucial for tourist access to the Lagoi resort area and the facility would give the area an exclusive image.

So far, the main access to Lagoi is by sea transportation. It takes around 30 minutes by express ferry to reach Lagoi from Batam.

The overland journey from provincial capital Tanjung Pinang to Lagoi is around one-and-a-half hours.

During the monsoon season, when the sea is relatively rough, huge waves challenge those travelling by sea. The distance by car from Tanjung Pinang is reportedly uncomfortable for visitors who wish to travel to Lagoi.

"The presence of the airport would also give tourists a positive impression of Lagoi," Chin said.

"We would ensure that the airport would function as it should, which is to serve the industrial and tourism sectors.

"We would also ensure that it would never be used for negative purposes, such as smuggling."

The rate of tourist arrivals in the area has gradually risen from year to year. The number of tourists stood at 330,000 in 2006, 340,000 in 2007, 370,000 in 2008 and 400,000 in 2009.

Around 10 percent of the number accounted for domestic tourists and 90 percent foreign visitors.

Riau Islands Transportation Office head Naharuddin said his office had submitted a recommendation letter to the Transportation Ministry on the planned construction of the special airport in Bintan by the private sector.