REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SUMENEP -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) requested that the runway of Trunojoyo Airport be extended again to accommodate larger aircraft.

"It must be extended again in order to facilitate larger airplanes," said President Jokowi who started his visit on the island of Madura in Sumenep, East Java, on Sunday.

The President instructed the Minister of Transportation to extend the airport's runway so that Trunojoyo Airport could be used by larger planes.

This was conveyed by the President since the Madura Island with its four million population has economic potential and its people have high traveling mobility to various destinations.

According to the Deputy for Protocol, Press and Media of the President's Secretariat Bey Machmudin, President appreciated the Ministry of Transportation which has extended the runway of Trunojoyo Airport from 1,100 meters to 1,600 meters so that ATR-class commercial airliners have been able to land since last week.

On several occasions, President Joko Widodo asked the government to focus on completing connectivity with the acceleration of infrastructure development of roads, bridges, ports and airports.

The President made the same remarks during an explanations by the Minister of Transportation about the development of Trunojoyo Sumenep Airport, Sumenep District on Sunday.

The President again reminded the importance of inter-island connectivity as well as within the island. "Transport connectivity should always be developed," said the President at the waiting room of Trunojoyo Airport.

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said that it needs the runway needs an extension from the current 1,600 meters and 30 meters wide to 2,250 meters and 45 meters wide to be used by jet aircraft. "So that not only propeller aircraft that can land, but also jet ones," said Budi.

To accommodate the out-and-in coming passengers the terminal required extensive development. "But the extension of this terminal cannot be completed at once. It needs to be developed in stages. Phase I can reach 800 square meters, phase II 1,160 square meters and phase III 2,139 square meters," said Budi.

The runway extension and terminal expansion will be completed by 2019. "All will be completed in 2019," Budi said.

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