Maluku Air Transportation Office chief John Rante said here on Saturday the project`s second phase would include the compaction of the soil under the airport which would have a runway measuring 30 meters x 1,400 meters.
He said the ministry had allocated Rp25 billion from the 2011 State Budget for the initial stage of the airport`s construction which included piling up and cramming up until late in December 2011.
"Moa island`s airport is expected to significantly smooth air transportation in Southwest Maluku district which before September 2008 was administratively part of Southeast Maluku (MTB) district," John said.
He said Southwest Maluku district actually already had a small airport in Kisar island but it was unable to meet the local people`s need for air transportation.
At present, the airport in Kisar was a terminal for regular (four times a week) Merpati Air flights from Ambon and Kupang (East Nusatenggara).
Kisar, the tentative administrative center of MBD district, can also be reached by "pioneer" boats from Ambon and Kupang but the voyage takes several days.
John said the runway of Kisar airport was extended from 800 meters to 1,300 meters in 2010 to support the international marine event of Sail Banda whose peak event took place in Kisar.
But he added the airport in Kisar was not able to accommodate the ever increasing number of passengers from day to day.
"Therefore, we hope the new airport in Moa can be completed as soon as possible to enable other airlines such as Trigana Air to conduct flights with 42-seat aircraft to MBD district beside Merpati Air," John said.
(Uu.O001/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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