Upon his arrival, the head of state immediately inspected the facilities available in the international arrivals terminal, which was being renovated since May 2011.
He checked the waiting lounge, passenger check-in and immigration service outlets and other facilities. Several cabinet ministers and Bali`s governor Made Mangku Pastika were also seen accompanying the President.
The inspection lasted for around 45 minutes. Prior to that, President Yudhoyono had also inspected the APEC Summit facilities at Sofitel Nusa Dua.
According to data from the operator of the Angkasa Pura airport, the development of the new Ngurah Rai airport has cost Rp2.8 trillion. The project, which had commenced in May of 2011, involved 4,000 workers. The new airport is expected to accommodate up to 25 million passengers a year.
Located on a 285-hectare plot of land, the new Ngurah Rai airport, which is a renovated form of the old airport, will also operate an integrated baggage handling system.
Traffic at the airport had risen 9.34 percent in 2012, with the number of flights increasing to 113,542 from 103,846 flights in 2011.
Meanwhile, the number of passengers in 2011 was pegged at 12,270,563 and in 2012 it rose to 14,175,580. Cargo also increased from 62,150 tons in 2011 to 70,198 tons in 2012. Construction of the project is set to conclude this year.
Following the end of construction, the width of the new international terminal will almost double to 120,000 square meters, up from an earlier 65,800 square meters, while the domestic terminal will be 65,000 square meters wide, up from 13,300 square meters.
The capacity of the international terminal will also jump to 16 million passengers a year, from an earlier only 7.7 million passengers a year, while the domestic terminal will accommodate 9.4 million travelers, rising from an earlier capacity of only 1.5 million passengers.
The international arrivals terminal will be one of the supporting facilities for the APEC Summit, which will be held early next month. (P008/YH/INE/A014)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
