Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA News) - PT Angkasa Pura II, a state-owned airport services company, has acquired land belonging to the residents of three villages in the district of Tangerang, Banten for the expansion of Jakartas Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The residents of the three villages, including Rawa Burung, Bojong Renged and Rawa Rengas, have reached an agreement with PT Angkasa Pura II on the acquisition prices for the areas that were previously pointed out by the company, Tangerang District Head Ahmed Zaki Iskandar said here, Monday.

The compensation fee itself varies between the areas as there are dry and wet lands, Iskandar added.

The development will focus on adding another runway to the airport, as currently, there are only two paths, and it has been considered insufficient.

A total of 173.19 hectares of land around the airport will be transformed into new runways, and the local government and airport managers have passed on this information to the people living in the area.

The development of the new runway is expected to finish by the end of 2017.

The airport is expected to accommodate aircraft movements that are estimated to increase to 430,000 in 2018.

Further, the airport authorities plan to add a fourth runway in 2024, as the movements are estimated to increase to 550,000 by 2025.

A Comprehensive Upgrade

The Indonesian government has made serious efforts to improve the capital citys international airport.

Last year, the airports new terminal called Terminal 3 Ultimate opened and it is expected to be one of the main gateway for the countrys tourism sector.

"We know the government is seeking to increase the number of foreign visitors, and we strive to improve our international flights, and we hope for Terminal 3 Ultimate to boost services for the Indonesian and international visitors," Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi had remarked, during an inspection visit to the newly opened terminal in August 2016.

Meanwhile, a railway service connecting Jakarta to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten Province, is expected to be completed and fully operational by July this year, President Director of PT Railink Heru Kuswanto had mentioned in November 2016.

The service will provide 124 trips per day, with each train consisting of 10 coaches capable of transporting 274 passengers per trip, and it is expected to run every 15 minutes to transport a total of 33,976 passengers per day, Kuswanto stated.

Canadian firm Bombardier had been appointed to manufacture the trains and the coaches would be delivered from Sweden in March this year, Kuswanto revealed.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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