Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - General Manager of Syamsudin Noor International Airport Indah Preastuty hopes international flight route to be realized sooner as the new terminal has been operational.
"Right now we continue our effort to realize it sooner, hopefully in January we have international route," Indah remarked in Banjarbaru, Wednesday (Dec 18, 2019).
She acknowledged it is not that easy to open international flight. It need a joint hard work of stakeholders.
"To run a new system cannot just be realized. It should be arranged and accelerated. All must be ready, especially interestees (market). This is what we still learn," she explained.
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The most realistic at this time, Indah said, is to serve umrah pilgrims to have a direct flight to King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arab.
"For umrah we already have demand for a direct flight. Hopefully with a new terminal and a status of international airport, we can serve it," she expected.
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While a demand for a Banjarmasin-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, route is still being learned on how much the demand is. Based on information, Malaysia residents from Banjar descent is quite a lot, and they want to visit South Kalimantan, especially for a religous tour.
"Yesterday we have make an assesment with AirAsia, but no significant progress yet until now," Indah told.
The Syamsudin Noor GM hoped this international airport to be in line with the desire of PT Angkasa Pura I President Director Faik Fahmi to encourgae foreign flights into South Kalimantan.
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"Now umrah is high. Our hope foreign tourists to enter here as in 2020 South Kalimantan government have prepared 34 activities to be held to attract tourist and the airport is ready. In fact, the airport can be a display of cultural diversity," Faik Fahmi affirmed as he attended the inauguration of the new terminal of Syamsudin Noor Airport by President Joko Widodo Wednesday.
