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Jokowi Inaugurates Toraja, Pantar Airports to Boost Economic Growth in Eastern Indonesia

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo inaugurated South Sulawesi’s Toraja Airport and East Nusa Tenggara’s Pantar Airport on Thursday, March 18.

The President, popularly known as Jokowi, expressed hope that the two airports will promote economic growth in the respective province.

“Hopefully the two airports will increase the regional economic growth, create more jobs, and pave the way for the growth of new economic centers,” Jokowi said in Tana Toraja.

He said that the construction cost of Toraja Airport reached 800 billion rupiahs ($55.3 million) as it had to flatten three hills and remove six million cubic meters of land to build a 2,000-meter runway.

He said the existence of the airport should better accommodate people’s mobility and transport of goods. People in Makassar, Bali, Jakarta, and Bandung could visit Tana Toraja via the newly-built airport.

Meanwhile, the Pantar Airport in the Alor regency also plays a vital role. If the water looks rough due to bad weather, he said, people could choose to travel by air.

First built in 2014, the Pantar Airport could accommodate up to 35,000 passengers annually.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/18/11215121/resmikan-bandara-toraja-dan-pantar-jokowi-harap-ekonomi-daerah-meningkat.