Medan, North Sumatra, April 2 (Antara) - The construction of Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang district, North Sumatra province, will be completed in September 2013, local government spokesman Nurdin Lubis has said.
Speaking at North Sumatra governor's office here on Tuesday, Lubis said the construction work of the airport was almost ready, and thus it was expected to be completed in September.
"Therefore let us be patient and wait until the airport will be inaugurated," Lubis said, expressing hope that the new international aerodrome in North Sumatra would be operational in time.
He noted that the annual passenger capacity of the new airport is 8.1 million.
Spread over an area of 1,365-hectares, the Kuala Namu airport will replace the Polonia International Airport in Medan, which has been over capacity.
Situated in the heart of Medan, Polonia airport accommodated 6.2 million passengers last year, more than 563 percent of its rated capacity of 1.1 million people a year.
The Kuala Namu airport will feature a 3,750-metre runway and 33 aprons. It will be equipped to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A380.
Meanwhile, airport project manager Joko Waskito said the construction work was 95 percent ready and expected to be completed in time.
"We still have enough time to finish the airport, believed to boost the national and regional economic growth," Joko noted.
He said the much awaited airport would become the new international transit centre in Sumatra and other western parts of Indonesia.
When completed, the Kuala Namu International Airport will be Indonesia's second largest airport after the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.
Earlier in December 2012 Joko said the airport was scheduled to be inaugurated in March 2013 but in reality it has failed to materialize. ***3***
(T.SYS/A/O. Tamindael/F. Assegaf) 02-04-2013 12:35:28
