KUTA ~

State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I said the Ngurah Rai International Airport of Bali would be expanded with an investment of Rp3 trillion this year.

The capacity of the terminal of the airport would be expanded, General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I branch for the Ngurah Rai airport Herry A.Y Sikado said here on Tuesday.

Herry said the investment would be financed by the company with loan funds.

The project will include expansion of domestic and international terminals, and apron, and construction of a general aviation terminal especially for chartered flights or private jet terminal, the first in the country, he said.

He said part of the investment fund will also be used to build toll road access to the airport in cooperation with state owned toll road developer and operator Jasamarga, Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and state owned seaport operator Pelindo.

Meanwhile, Co-General Manager of the branch of PT Angkasa Pura I I Gusti Ngurah Ardita the domestic and international terminals would be doubled in size.

Currently, the international terminal is around 129,000 square meters in width and the domestic terminal is 68,000 square meters.

The expansion would increase the capacity of the terminals, Ardita said.

“In 2014, we served 17.3 million passengers or an increase of 11 percent from the previous year,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Garuda Indonesia Arif Wibowo support the expansion of Ngurah Rai International Airport, in providing more convenient services to airlines that landed at the airport.

“I welcome what is conveyed by the Minister of SOE, Rini Soemarno in front of Bali Governor, Made Mangku Pastika that the Ministry continues to be together to build airport in accordance with the requirements,” he said.