Lombok Int'l Airport Status Needs Reviewing

Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, April 16 (Antara) - The status of Lombok International Airport (BIL) needs to be reviewed because its standard of manual operation has yet to meet the international criteria, a legislator has said. "The standard of BIL`s manual operation has yet to meet the international criteria because large body airplane such as Boeing 747 has so far not been able to land at this airport, and thus its status must be reviewed," member of the Indonesian House of Representatives` Commission V Josef A Nae Soi said here on Monday. According to him, the airport management company PT Angkasa Pura-I at Lombok International Airport should make "Company Operation Manual" (COM) to extend the airport`s runway in order to meet international criteria. Nae Soi pointed out that based on Law No.1/209 on aviation, runway development of an airport was the responsibility of the state because it dealt with national sovereignty. Meanwhile, West Nusa Tenggara`s Head of Communication and Information Service Ridwan Syah said here on Monday that the provincial government had planned to turn BIL into a city airport. He noted that investment would be needed to realize the plan which will be completed with various facilities such as a shopping center, a hotel and other airport services. "PT Angkasa Pura has invited investors to build the facilities in the BIL area measuring 551 hectares to become the second largest airport in Indonesia, after Soekarno-Hatta Airport," he said. According to Syah, to support the development of the city airport, the government has been building some supporting infrastructure like asphalt roads and tourist resorts in the southern area of the airport. The runway would be extended from 2,750 meters to 3,000 meters, he said adding the government would put its funds in the project through the national budget 2013.