Jokowi Lands For The First Time At IKN VVIP Airport: Smooth Runway, Everything Smooth

President Joko Widodo. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) made his first landing at the VVIP Airport in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Jokowi said the landing went smoothly.

"Yesterday, we made the first landing after several attempts. Once it went down, yes, the runway was smooth, everything went smoothly," said Jokowi when inaugurating the Groundbreaking of Forest Terrace by Plataran Indonesia on IKN as seen on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Wednesday, September 25.

Jokowi admitted that before carrying out the inaugural landing at IKN, he had asked the Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi regarding airport readiness.

"Yesterday I asked the Minister of Transportation (Budi Karya) it is true that it is safe, it is true, it is safe. Okay, I landed in Nusantara Airport," he said.

However, said Jokowi, the terminal to the runway or runway of IKN VVIP Airport will only be completed in December 2024. Thus, later large-bodied aircraft can land there.

"By the end of December (2024) everything will be finished, both terminals, the runway is really already at 3,000 meters long. So, wide-body aircraft can descend at IKN," said the President.

When everything has been completed, Jokowi hopes that there will be more flights to IKN in the future.

"We hope that the more traffic, the more traffic to and from IKN. This will provide a good crowded ecosystem to our beloved capital city," he added.