Kuta, Bali (ANTARA News) - State airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I will allocate Rp2.1 trillion in funds for the expansion of Ngurah Rai international airport in Bali.

"The funds will come from Angkasa Pura I`s internal cash sources and syndicated loans from national banks," Director of Ngurah Rai Airport Development Project Sri Unon Setyasih said on Saturday.

The funds would be used to renovate a number of buildings and facilities at the airport built on 285 hectares of land, she said.

"Through the project the airport`s international terminal will be expanded to 129 thousand sq meters from 65.8 thousand sq meters. The domestic terminal which covers 13.3 thousand sq meters will be moved to the former location of international terminal. The airport`s apron will be expanded to 300.2 thousand sq meters from 214.5 thousand sq meters," she said.

The funds would also be used to build four-storeyed parking lot on 39 thousand sq meters of land, and expand international cargo terminal to 6 thousand sq meters, school complex and runway, she said.

She said the land used for the expansion project was owned by PT Angkasa Pura so that there was no land clearance.

"Ideally, an international airport should cover an area of at least two thousand hectares. But since Ngurah Rai airport has an area of 285 hectares we must use it as optimally as possible," she said.

She said the expansion project had so far reached 1.7 percent.

"The project started in May 2011 and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2013 prior to an APEC Summit here," she said.

The project was also designed to anticipate the growing number of foreign and domestic tourists which was expected to reach 25 million in 2025, she said.

"An average of 11 million tourists currently come to Bali via Ngurah Rai airport," she said.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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