GARUDA Indonesia is partnering Singapore-based investment company Gallant Venture to turn Bintan Island into an international tourism destination with its own airport and centre for aircraft maintenance.
The two companies inked an MoU earlier this week to collaborate on the project, which will see the development of one runway and one terminal in the first phase. The terminal will be linked to a ferry terminal to serve ferry services to and from Singapore and Bintan.
An aircraft maintenance centre will also come up as part of the 177-hectare Bintan Aerospace Industry Park in the existing Bintan Industrial Estate, comprising maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity for aircraft and components, manufacturing and assembly of aircraft engines and components, an aviation training and academy, and research and development.
A township will also be built to house employees and provide sports and wellness facilities.
Garuda Indonesia’s subsidiary, Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia, will establish a joint venture company with Gallant Venture for the operations of MRO of aircraft and components at the Bintan Aerospace Industry Park.
Eugene Park, CEO of Gallant Venture, said the island’s infrastructure would be beefed up to support growing tourism. “We are extending our road network, power, potable water and telecom facilities to the new airport and its adjacent aerospace park.”
Garuda Indonesia’ president and CEO, Emirsyah Satar, said: “The new operation out of Bintan will help strengthen Garuda’s network development, with a potential to connect East Indonesia with West Indonesia and become the meeting point for our international flights to Europe and the Far East.”
“With our regional fleet stationed in Bintan, Garuda will be able to more competitively service second-tier tourist and business destination cities within ASEAN,” he added.
Bintan, located in the Riau archipelago in Indonesia and close to Singapore, has already been earmarked for a host of tourism developments including luxury resort The Sanchaya (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 14, 2012) and Far East Hospitality’s Quincy hotel (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 20, 2013). Both form part of the Lagoi Bay Bintan (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 30, 2013) development.
Last month, Indonesia’s Lion Air announced it is making Bintan’s next door neighbour, Batam, its second major hub for operations with plans to launch more domestic and international services from the island (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 28, 2014). The group has also been building up an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility on Bintan.
