Balikpapan - PT Angkasa Pura (Persero) prepares 1.8 trillion Rupiah to develop Sepinggan International Airport, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. This is an effort to increase service to customers whose number keep improving up to 13 percent per year. President Director Angkasa Pura Airport Tommy Soetomo stated that after being renovated, Sepinggan International Airport could accommodate up to 10 million flight attendances. In July 2013, the construction is expected to finish, "This is to ensure that the operation can run in October." Tommy stated.
Current condition, Sepinggan airport’s terminal is only 15.5 m2 and able to accommodate 1.7 million attendance per year. Meanwhile is 2012 alone, the number of attendances was around 6.6 million, so that the width of the terminal will be expanded to 100.000 m2 to accommodate up to 10 million attendances. "This expansion is to increase security and comfort of the attendance. Currently the airport is too full and far for comfortable, so the expansion shall be realised for obvious reason." Tommy added, Balikpapan strategic location also supports this expansion, in the view of business as well as tourism. Through the development of facilities and airport services, it is predicted to give multiplier effect to the economic growths of East Kalimantan Province as a whole.
Besides, this building will later become a new landmark of East Kalimantan. The architecture of this airport adopts green building and passively expected to minimize energy consumption as well as to promote water conservation. The form and view of the "fasad" is a stilation of forest with interior ornament enriching by the culture motif of East Kalimantan .
For business sector, Sepinggan will also make vistor more comfortable. By concerning on the needs and hopes of the airport customers, the business sector will apply modern concept with International Standard that can become a pride of East Kalimantan.
"We highly appreciate Angkasa Pura Airports that have developed this airports beautifully. This makes us proud as citizen of East Kalimantan." Said Governor of East Kalimantan, Awang Faroek Ishak. Further, he also proposes to change the name into Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman, Sepinggan, Balikpapan. According to him, Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman is the 18th king of Kutai Kartangegara kingdom who has made huge progress to the kingdom. "We have proposed that name to the Transportation Ministry. Hopefully can be accepted." He added (Corporate Communication / Translator : Yeni Mujiatin).
