Matahora To be Modernized To Serve As Transit Airport

Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, July 10 (Antara) - The Commission V of the House of Representatives has sanctioned proposal to expand and modernized the Matahora airport in Southeast Sulawesi to serve as a new transit airport for eastern Indonesia in addition to the Hasanuddin airport of Makassar in South Sulawesi. The proposal has been submitted by the Wakatobi district followed a visit to the airport last weekend by 11 legislators of the Commission V and a number of officials of related ministries, Wakatobi District Head Hugua said here on Wednesday. Hugua told the visiting lawmakers and officials that the Matahora airport is strategically located to help boost economic development in eastern Indonesia. The airport could expand integration of air and sea transport between Southeast Sulawesi, East and West Nusa Tenggara and Bali, he said. He said Eastern Indonesian region including Southeast Sulawesi, East and West Nusa Tenggara and Bali has been lagging behind Western Indonesia in economic development because of inadequate air and sea transport facilities. So far goods and service transport between Western Indonesia including Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan and Eastern Indonesia including Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua has been concentrated via Makassar resulting in higher cost of distribution of goods and service to other areas in the region, he said. "Just imagine, air passengers from Papua have to go all the way to Makassar if they want to visit Ambon in nearby province of Maluku," he pointed out. With Matahora developed as a new transit airport, the cost of transport could be cut considerably, he said. In addition, traditional transport between district areas in Eastern Indonesia would be better facilitated, he added. Transport facilities are vital to boost economic development in Eastern Indonesia, which are made up mainly of small islands, he said. Development of the Matahora airport, therefore, would serve greatly to improve the welfare of the people in the region, he said. With the approval from the House Commission V , the transport ministry would set aside a budget for the betterment and expansion of the 250 meter airport runway, he said. He said runway would be expanded and extended from 250 meters to 2,250 meters to be able to accommodate wide bodied aircraft. "Wide bodied planes like Boeing aircraft would be able to land on the runway 45 meters in width and 2,250 meters in length," he said. The plan is the runway could be extended up to 3,000 meters with the apron 500 meters in width. At the same time the Commission V and the government plan to modernize the other facilities in Wakatobi like the port of Panggubelo Wangiwangi, and ferry terminal and drinking water supply installations. "All those facilities would support Matahora in its function as a transit airport for Eastern Indonesian region," Hugua said.