President Jokowi Asks The Minister Of Transportation To Make Surabaya-Madura And Jakarta-Madura Routes Via Trunojoyo Airport

President Jokowi/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked the Ministry of Transportation to open the Surabaya-Madura and Jakarta-Madura routes through Trunojoyo Airport in Sumenep Regency, Madura, East Java. He was sure this route would be full later.

He conveyed this when inaugurating Trunojoyo Airport today, Wednesday, April 20. Jokowi said this airport could improve connectivity and cut travel time to Madura Island.

"I ask the Minister of Transportation to make efforts to have flights from Surabaya to Sumenep or from Jakarta to Sumenep for us to check whether the passengers are full or not. In my opinion, it is full, God willing, it will be full," Jokowi said on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube show, Wednesday, April 20.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta also believes that this airport can cut the travel time from the islands around Madura, which usually takes days by boat. So, Jokowi asked Trunojoyo Airport, which had just been inaugurated, to be utilized and maintained as well as possible so that it can move the community's economy.

"I believe that with better connectivity, people's mobility will be easier and smoother," he said.

"And new economic points will grow new businesses, God willing, will emerge and new job opportunities will also increase. In addition, existing businesses will continue to develop and will be more advanced," added Jokowi.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi said Trunojoyo Airport stands on 34 hectares of land. The types of aircraft that can land there are ATR aircraft.

The routes prepared are also varied, ranging from Madura-Surabaya to Surabaya-Bawean. However, it is possible that other routes such as Madura-Banjarmasin, Madura-Jakarta, and Madura-Bali will be opened.

"Because there are many workers in Kalimantan, in Jakarta, and in Bali," Budi said at the inauguration ceremony.