Inaugurates Tana Toraja Airport, Jokowi: Unique Airport, Three Hills Cut To Make Runaway

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Capture YouTube Screenshot of Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) admits that he is grateful that the government has completed the construction and inaugurated Tana Toraja Airport in Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi.

He said this airport has its own uniqueness because, in the construction process, three hills had to be cut to make a runway or an airplane runaway.

"This airport is very unique, cutting hills, three hills so that the runaway can be built, the runaway is 2,000 meters long", said President Jokowi during the airport inauguration activity broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, March 18.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta also said that when the airport was not finished, he often asked the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi.

Because besides being needed by the surrounding community, the airport that was built in 2011, also takes up a significant budget, namely around IDR 800 billion during construction.

Furthermore, he hopes that this airport can accelerate community mobility. Because, before this airport existed, people from Makassar who headed to Tana Toraja needed nine hours by road trip.

"Usually the people here go by land to Makassar in nine hours. Earlier I tried it with AR, it only took 50 minutes", he said.

This airport can also be expected to increase the mobility of goods and airport connectivity which can increase tourism in the region.

"I am sure that tourism here will develop very well from Makassar, from Bali directly here. From Jakarta directly here, from Bandung to Tana Toraja to see the country above the clouds, Kete Kesu, and Pango-Pango", he said.

It is known, during a visit to South Sulawesi, President Jokowi not only inaugurated Tana Toraja Airport but also inaugurated another airport in Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, namely Pantar Airport.

In this inauguration ceremony, President Jokowi was accompanied by the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi and the Minister of State Secretary Pratikno.