Jokowi to Attend Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Yogyakarta Int'l Airport on Monday
Yogyakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is scheduled to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the New Yogyakarta International Airport next week, an official said on Wednesday (18/01).
Project manager R. Sujiastono said the president will inaugurate the long-delayed project on Monday.
Construction of the airport in Kulon Progo district, Yogyakarta, has been stalled since 2013 due to land acquisition issues.
Sujiastono said state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I has spent Rp 2.8 trillion ($210 billion) to purchase 58 percent of the 587.2 hectares required for the project.
The remaining land is still under negotiation, 27 percent of which belongs to the Paku Alam family, the second-highest position in the royal household after the sultan of Yogyakarta.
"The challenge lies with the Paku Alam land, since the payment will consist of consignment notes with the Wates District Court. The person authorized to receive the payment is the private business of the Paku Alam family," Sujiastono said.
"We aim to have finalized the land purchase by March, so the focus can shift to the matter of construction," he added.
The new airport will replace Adisutjipto International Airport, which currently services 3.5 million passengers annually – far exceeding its design capacity of 1.5 million.
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