Minister Of Transportation Budi Karya Ensures Rokot Airport In Mentawai Operates This Year

Photo: Doc. Antara

Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi ensured that Rokot Airport in Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra will operate in 2023.

The Minister of Transportation on Sunday, August 13, reviewed the progress of the airport construction. He revealed that Rokot Airport has been completed and is waiting for the airport certificate issuance process.

"It is possible that next month the President will come here," said the Minister of Transportation in an official statement, quoted from Antara, Monday, August 14.

The Rokot Mentawai Airport was built to replace the old airport, namely the Rokot Sipora Airport which is no longer possible to be developed again due to limited high seas.

"I carry out President Joko Widodo's direction to oversee connectivity activities, especially in 3TP areas (lagging behind, remote, outermost, and border) such as Mentawai being well maintained. Not only finished building the infrastructure but ensuring it can be utilized properly. I have come here three times before being built, and now, to guard this optimally," he said.

Mentawai Airport, which only has a runway length of 1,500 x 30 meters so that it can be based on a larger aircraft, namely ATR 72-600 with a maximum capacity of 78 passengers. Previously, the old airport could only be based on a Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft with a capacity of 12 people with a runway length of 850 x 23 meters.

With the aircraft capacity increasing from 12 to 78 people per flight, the Minister of Transportation hopes that the presence of a new airport can increase the number of visitors, especially tourists, to come to the Mentawai.

"In addition to the outermost areas, Mentawai is also a tourist destination and is famous for the waves being hunted by surfing sports fans. So, the demand for flights is quite high," he said.

The Minister of Transportation also hopes that the local government can help ensure the level of aircraft occupancy, for example by organizing various events and conducting block seats.

"If there are at least 56 people per flight with ATR, the airline will want to fly," said the Minister of Transportation.

On the same occasion, the Acting (Pj) Regent of the Mentawai Islands Fernando Jongguran Simanjuntak appreciated the visit from the Minister of Transportation to jointly check the construction of a new airport in Mentawai.

"We believe that the presence of this airport can boost the level of visits to the Mentawai Islands, especially domestic arrivals. We hope that not only the tourism sector but other sectors such as MSMEs will also grow later in the Mentawai islands," said Fernando.

As for 2022, the total number of passengers to and from Mentawai via air was recorded as 1,354 passengers with 219 aircraft movements. The pioneering route is served by the Susi Air operator with flight frequency twice a week.

The Ministry of Transportation said that the construction of a new airport in Mentawai was also carried out in the context of mitigating natural disasters that often occur in the area. With a larger aircraft, it is hoped that it will accelerate the provision of assistance and evacuation.

During his working visit, the Minister of Transportation also visited a number of airports in remote areas, one of which was Raja Haji Abdullah Airport in Tanjung Balai Karimun, Riau Islands.

Also present at the review were Director General of Civil Aviation Maria Kristi Endah Murni and Director of Public Airport Syamsu Rizal.