Abiyoso said that in line with increasing number of passengers and flight frequency to Jambi, the runway of Sultan Taha airport should be extended for bigger airplanes.
"A number of airline companies such as Batavia Air, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, and Sriwijaya Air want to serve Jabi route with bigger airplanes following the increasing number of passengers," Abiyoso said.
He said the airline companies which serve Jambi route were at present operating Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 737-400 but unable to operate bigger planes because the runway of Sultan Taha airport was too short to accommodate them.
Abiyoso said the runway of Sultan Taha airport was 2,220 meters long and 30 meters wide, and in 2012 it will be expanded to 2,400 meters long and 45 meters wide.
He said the expansion of Sultan Taha airport`s runway was intended to accommodate bigger aircraft such as Boeing 737-758.
Located in the Paalmerah suburb of Jambi, the airport has 73 flights departing per week for short haul destinations and 42 medium sized aircraft departing each week.
In April 2007 PT Angkasa Pura II took over Sultan Taha airport management from Jambi provincial transportation office and at preset it is serving five airline companies namely Garuda Indonesia, Batavia Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Kartika Airlines.
Originally called Paalmerah airport, the aerodrome was built during the colonial era and starting 2011 its capacity will be increased to server the increasing number of passengers.
PT Angkasa Pura II will also add the facility of Instrument Landing System (ILS) to enable incoming aircraft make a perfect landing in bad weather, and to make it an international airport in 2012. (O001)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
