Samarinda, E Kalimantan (ANTARA Kaltim) - The East Kalimantan provincial government will inaugurate the Maratua airport of Berau District in June 2015 in an effort to support the marine tourist site development in Derawan Islands.
Head of the East Kalimantan transportation office H Zairin Zain in his written statement said here on Thursday that the Maratua airport that has a runway of 1,400 meters long, and built since 2011 has absorbed around Rp92 billion in funds.
The airport can function as an outer layer defense, as well as to safeguard the sovereignty of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), because East Kaltimantan has many outer islands, he stated.
"In addition to keeping the NKRI, the airport is also to facilitate the inflow of local and foreign tourists in the island which has a number of very interesting attractions of the tourist resort, especially the underwater world," he noted.
Zain further said that the local government needs another Rp2 billion for the construction of passenger terminal. (*)
