Wants To Land Immediately At IKN Airport, Jokowi: Still Waiting For Landing And Take Off Experiments

President Jokowi entered the presidential plane for a working visit to East Java, Tuesday, November 30, 2021. (doc BPMI Setpres-Laily R)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed his desire to land at Nusantara Airport in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan (Kaltim) when he visited IKN on Thursday, September 12.

Jokowi said that in his remarks on the inauguration of the Nusantara Swissotel Hotel and laying the groundbreaking of Nusantara Mall Duty Free at IKN, East Kalimantan, Friday, September 13.

"Yesterday I actually wanted to get off at a new airport, but it turns out that it is not possible to try again with the same plane that we are using," he said, witnessed via the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube live broadcast.

The President said that Nusantara Airport still needs to be tested with other planes before being accommodated by the Indonesia-1 Presidential Aircraft.

"Still waiting for the landed and take off experiments from the planes that will try it so that indeed the plane we are traveling on has not been able to get off at the Nusantara Airport," said the President.

Previously, the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono said that Nusantara Airport would be tested with a landing test of the RJ-85 aircraft before being used by President Joko Widodo.

"This morning the Minister of Transportation landed here with the Cessna (airplane). Now it is being sought to be tested with the RJ-85 owned by Pelita Air, this is being pursued," said PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono when met at the State Palace. IKN, East Kalimantan, Thursday 12 September.

Basuki who is also Plt. The Head of the IKN Authority (OIKN) said that the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi reported to President Joko Widodo that the airport at IKN was good for aircraft to accommodate.

According to the pilot who brought the Cessna plane, said Basuki, the airport in IKN has asphalt that is in accordance with the criteria.

"According to the Minister of Transportation who was reported to the President, the airport according to the pilot was good, so it bit the asphalt felt by the pilot," said Basuki.