BelitongToday, Tanjungpandan – The Central Government through the Ministry of Transportation is said to evaluate a number of airports with international status in the country into domestic airports, one of which includes H.AS Hanandjoeddin International Airport, Tanjungpandan, in Belitung Regency.
Responding to the plan, Vice Regent of Belitung, Isyak Meirobie said that his party will continue to strive to maintain that the status of Belitung’s H.AS Hanandjoeddin international airport is not revoked.
“I, along with the Regent will continue to maintain that the status of the H.AS Hananjoeddin international airport is not revoked,” he explained after opening the Government Transformation Academy (GTA) Digital Talent Scholarship (DTA) Training by the Research and Development Agency’s Education and Training Center in collaboration with the Belitung Regency Government, Tuesday (9/20) morning.
He has conveyed this matter to the Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung, Ridwan Djamaluddin to immediately follow up with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation.
“We have written the Governor and he is ready to discuss this issue with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation,” he said.
He also asked members of the parliament from Belitung Island, both at the central and regional levels, to jointly maintain that H.AS Hanandjoeddin airport remains international and does not become a domestic airport.
“We ask for the help of the people of Bangka Belitung who are entrusted as members of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) to contribute with this and leave immediately to Jakarta to convey Belitung’s achievements which makes Belitung badly needs an international airport,” he stated.
As explained by the Vice Regent, Belitung has now been designated as a new Bali and is included as one of the ten National Tourism Strategic Areas (KSPN) in the country, a Tourism Special Economic Zone (KEK), and a Unesco Global Geopark (UGG) area.
In fact, Isyak continued, Belitung recently successfully held the G20 International Development Ministerial Meeting (DMM) which was attended by approximately 22 representatives of influential countries in the world.
“Following the successful implementation of the G20 DMM yesterday, our airport terminal should have given a budget increase instead of revoking its status,” he explained.
However, he firmly believes that the central government will not revoke the status of Belitung’s H.AS Hanandjoeddin international airport as a domestic airport.
“We believe that the central government has an objective assessment and will not revoke it,” he hoped. (*)
