THE Lampung provincial government is working to improve its airport and road infrastructure to facilitate the growth of inbound business and leisure tourism.
Radin Inten II Airport, which serves the capital Bandar Lampung, will undergo renovations from beginning next year, prior to being upgraded to an international airport. An 80 hectare piece of land has been set aside for the expansion of the airport and its runway.
Secretary of Lampung provincial government, Berlian Tihang, said: “The development will include expansion of the runway from 2.5km to 3km, which will enable the airport to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft (such as Airbus A330s), as well as expansion of the terminal.”
In West Lampung Regency, Pekon Serai Krui Airport, which was originally built for disaster mitigation purposes, will be refurbished and made available for chartered or commercial airline services.
Tihang said: “(The opening of Pekon Serai Krui) will not only improve accessibility between Bandar Lampung and West Lampung, but also allow direct flights from Jakarta for tourists going to Tanjung Setia (surfing destination), which is just 6km away.”
Other developments in the pipeline include the construction of Sunda Strait Bridge between Sumatra and Java, and the building of a toll road between Bakauheni in South Lampung and Terbanggi Besar in Central Lampung –expected to begin in 2014.
