President Hopes Majalengka Airport To Boost Local Economy

Jakarta, Feb 7 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed hope that the construction of the Kertajati International Airport in West Java`s Majalengka district, which is scheduled for completion in 2018, will boost economic growth in the surrounding area. "Once the construction (of the airport) is completed, the eastern part of West Java and the western part of Central Java will grow more rapidly. The area is now growing well and the growth can be further stepped up with the presence of the transport infrastructure," he stated, when opening a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential office here on Friday. The President inspected the construction of the airport while paying a four-day working visit to West Java and Central Java provinces early this week. During the visit, he also inspected the construction of Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan toll road and Cikampek-Palimanan toll road. "I hope that the transport minister will ensure that by October this year, we will be able to perform our tasks and duties properly," he pointed out. The construction of the airport, which is located on 1.8 thousand hectares of land with two runways of 4 thousand meters each, is projected to cost around Rp 8 trillion. The airport is expected to start operating in 2020 with a capacity of up to 20 million passengers per year.