Mataram - Selaparang Airport Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat Province was revived by Angkasa Pura Airports, Monday April 7th, 2014. The opening was done by the Mayor of Mataram, Ahyar Abduh that signed by the breaking flowering jug in front of training plane PK ROQ belongs to Bali International Flight Academy (BIFA) and PK LLB airplane training of Lombok Institute of Flight Technology (LIFT). These two planes the fly rounding Mataram City.
Selaparang Airport was functioned for the interest of flight school and MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, exhibition). LIFT is a flight school centralized in Lombok. While BIFA home base is in Buleleng, Bali. Operation Director of Angkasa Pura Airports Yushan Sayuti conveyed be going to make Selaparang Airport as an aviation centre. Not only for pilots but also mechanics, stewardess and all activities related to airport.
The young people arround Selaparang Airport can also given opportunity to get this aviation education. And also as a form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of Angkasa Pura Airports. “We will invite experts form Boeing aviation company or other airlines,†he said. According to Yushan, TNI AU airplane as ATR 42 was also permitted to use the runway of Selaparang Airport with 2.100 lenght and 40 meter width. However, it cannot use for Hercules airplane.
Ahyar Abduh said there is no fund compensation from the revival of Selaparang Airport. “But we will get economic impact of the presence of flight school and MICE torism here,†he said to Tempo in the middle of opening event. When it was commercially operated, the local revenue of Mataram Government generated form Selaparang Airport was Rp 700 millions. Today, the local revenue of Mataram has reached Rp.134 millions.
However, Ahyar requires lisencing compensation from Angkasa Pura Airports for infrastructure need, sucg as underpass road construction, breaching the runway to open new road access. Selaparang Airport since October 1st, 2011 was closed since the transfer of civil and commercial flights service to Lombok International Airport in Tanak Awu, Lombok Tengah District. [Diani Sekaring Sejati/Source: Tempo.co]
