Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Work will start this week to build the new international airport of Yogyakarta in Kulon Progo, General Manager of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura 1 Bandara Agus Pandu Purnama said.

"The process of land clearing is almost completed, therefore, construction could start this week," Agus Pandu Purnama said here on Wednesday.

He said the process of construction would be accelerated to meet the target that the New Yogyakarta International Airport could be operational in April 2019.

Construction of runway, taxiway, apron, and passenger terminal has to be 100 percent completed in April, 2019, he said, adding the parking stand is at least 60 percent and the terminal at least 50 percent finished.

Agus said the process of construction has slowed earlier on problem in land clearing, but now there was no more significant bottleneck.

"Last week, the process of land clearing was already 95 percent completed and next week it should be all wrapped up. It was only a matter of relocation of some of the former land owners," he said.

He said the new international airport to replace the old airport of Yogyakarta, would open many jobs as the airport is much larger with a capacity of 24 million passengers.

He said the new airport would need 24,000 workers.

Earlier, Chief Executive of PT Angkasa Pura I Faik Fahmi said the people of Yogyakarta have long been awaiting the implementation of the new airport project in the district of Kulon Progo.

"The people hope that the new airport would make Yogyakarta better , therefore, we hope that the process of construction would run smoothly," Faik said.
Reporting by Luqman Hakim
Editing by A Saragih

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Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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