"The airport's physical construction will be completed by the end of this year or December. This October, we will accommodate some routes, and some 65 flights will be relocated from Adisutjipto to YIA," acting General Manager of YIA Agus Pandu stated here on Tuesday.
The airport operator will hold a meeting with the airlines on July 17 to discuss the plan.
"We will determine which flights can be moved to YIA in October," he revealed.
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Pandu noted that the passenger occupancy rate at YIA for the Palangkaraya and Samarinda routes had reached 65 percent while that for the Yogyakarta-Jakarta route had reached 50 percent.
"I think this is quite good for a new airport. The market is, so far, dominated by students and workers from Palangkaraya," he remarked.
Since its initial operation on May 6, AP I has recorded 62 flights in that entire month, with the figure jumping to 290 flights in June, according to the airport operator.
The number of passengers during the period also rose significantly, from 2,935 passengers in May to 27,717 passengers in June, thereby indicating increased passenger interest to use the new airport.
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"With its proximity to Purworejo, Banjarnegara, and other areas in the southern part of Central Java, people (from the areas) have also used this new airport," Pandu remarked.
Construction of the new airport has reached 65 percent completion, and AP II is focusing on the construction of a 219 thousand-square meter passenger terminal. Currently, the airport has only operated a 12,960-square meter passenger terminal.
"We are also focusing on the construction of other supporting facilities, including the cargo terminal, tower, and other facilities, such as a three-story parking lot," he added.
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Translator: Sutarmi, Sri Haryati
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
