We have already prepared five hectares of land for the purpose."
Lombok (ANTARA News) - A motocross circuit will be laid out at the Lombok International Airport by the time athletes visit Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

"The circuit will be laid out towards the left side of the airports main entrance. We have already prepared five hectares of land for the purpose," General Manager of the state-owned airport operator, PT Angkasa Pura I, I Gusti Ngurah Ardita, said here on Saturday.

With just five hectares of the total 511 hectares land of the airport being used for the racing circuit, it will not interfere with other activities including the movement of passengers entering the airport.

That is because the racing circuit will have a separate entry directly opening towards the highway.

Ardita said the issue of construction of the circuit was still being discussed, and a date will soon be fixed for starting the construction.

According to him, the motocross would add a unique feature to the airport.

The racing circuit will prove to be a great facility for the athletes, the youth, and fans of the motocross sport who want to join official competitions.

Ardita hoped that the motocross circuit would bring more tourists to Lombok.

The airports management was also planning, in conjunction with the Mataram University, to set up a botanical garden on a part of the airport land.

The garden would be towards the right side of the airport. Botanists from the Mataram University will decide the kind of plants that could be grown well in the garden.

The LIA has been operating since 2011 to replace Selaparang Airport which could no longer accommodate the rising number of passengers arriving there.

In 2015, the LIA served 2.7 million passengers and has a capacity of 3 million passengers per year.

Having a land area of 511 hectares makes the LIA the biggest among the 13 airports being managed by PT Angkasa Pura I.

Hence, the airports management will still have enough land to build non-aero facilities.

(Reported by Santoso/Uu.Y013/INE/KR-BSR/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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