State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I) is readying five airports to accommodate the planes of delegates of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali, to held on Oct. 8 to 14.

The airports are Lombok International Airport in West Nusa Tenggara, Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Surakarta, Central Java and EL Tari International Airport in Kupang.

“It is to anticipate the need for more space to park the planes, although we have already prepared a special facility at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali,” said AP I president director Faik Fahmi in a statement on Friday.

“All this effort is to ensure that the arrivals and the departures are smooth and comfortable.”  

To welcome the delegates, AP I has made improvements at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, including by expanding its apron and taxiway, as well as setting up additional check-in counters. 

Faik said the five airports had been designated as the apron at Bali’s airport would not be able to accommodate the number planes expected to arrive, as according to Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan,  32,000 participants had registered for the event. (bbn)