Jakarta, IO – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended the ground breaking ceremony marking the construction of Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Airport in East Kalimantan, Wednesday (1/11).
Jokowi hoped the airport can be completed quickly so it can start operations in June 2024 to support connectivity, considering that flight traffic will increase significantly in the future, per Katadata.
“This is a special airport used to support government services at IKN,” explained Jokowi. The airport will be built on a 347-hectare site. The runway is around 3,000 meters long and 45 meters wide. It will have a terminal area spanning 7,350 sqm.
Jokowi wished the existence of infrastructure that can serve wide-body aircrafts can increase IKN’s competitiveness and spur economic growth in the new administrative capital.
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“As well as accelerating the IKN development that is currently underway,” he said.
During his visit to IKN, Jokowi also kickstarted the construction of a number of infrastructure such as hospitals and schools. He also inspected the toll road construction project which will connect IKN with oil-rich Balikpapan city. (un)