Govt to Build New Airport in Karawang

VIVAnews - The Indonesian government plans to build new airport in Karawang, an outlying industrial area in eastern Jakarta, as the Soekarno-Hatta international airport is deemed overcapacity.

Urban analyst Yayat Supriyatna said the Karawang airport "may integrate with Trans-Java toll roads, northern coast of Java railways connecting Jakarta, Cirebon, Central and East Java."

In addition, he said, "if the airport is there, traffic congestion will lessen."

The Karawang airport will in turn help the area to expand, creating more employment.

Spokesperson of Ministry of Transportation, Bambang S. Ervan, the Soekarno-Hatta airport is expected to be in normal operation until between 2014 and 2015.

"At least, the development of the new airport will be initiated in 2013," he said.