INDUSTRY.co.id - Banyuwangi - Banyuwangi Regency Government cooperates with Angkasa Pura II Limited Company to develop Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi.

Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas in Banyuwangi, Saturday (9/9/2017) expressed his gratitude to all parties who continue to help the development of Banyuwangi Airport.

He exemplified Kemenhub's extraordinary role in supporting the development of Banyuwangi.

"The Minister of Transportation is amazingly working, he always encourages us to clean up and the Ministry of Transportation is also a party that has an extraordinary role so that Banyuwangi Airport can grow as fast as this," he said.

Additional synergy with AP II, Anas said, will certainly continue to encourage the development of Banyuwangi Airport to be more advanced, so more useful to move the local economy.

Meanwhile, the cooperation was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas and Commercial Director of PT AP II Daan Ahmad at Blimbingsari Airport Terminal.

The MoU signing was witnessed by the Minister of Tourism RI Arief Yahya and Head of Blimbingsari Airport Dodi Dharma Cahyadi.

Previously, Director General of Air Transportation of Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) Agus Santoso and Director of Flight Navigation of Kemenhub Yudhisari participated in the Garuda flight from Jakarta to Banyuwangi on Friday (8/9).

Daan Ahmad in banyuwangi, East Java, said Saturday after the signing of the MoU, AP II will work to encourage the development of Banyuwangi Airport. "As a first step, we will coordinate with the Ministry of Transportation and Banyuwangi regency to see which things will be developed," Daan said.

There are at least two aspects that will be developed, namely the air side and the land side. For the air side, AP II will help airlines to bring more traffic. Because flight frequency is needed to make airports bigger than before.

"Here is still possible to create more traffic. Our target is to increase traffic. For future, as the development, this airport can be developed into an international airport. From the land side, we have prepared some development, there are new investments for the airport this, "Daan said as quoted by Antara.

Banyuwangi Airport itself began operations in 2010. Since 2014, local governments to develop the first green concept terminals in Indonesia with the budget of Banyuwangi and East Java Provincial Government.

The route to Banyuwangi is now served six times a day, three from Surabaya by Garuda Indonesia and Wings Air, and the Jakarta-Banyuwangi route by Nam Air twice and recently added one by Garuda Indonesia. The number of passengers at the airport continues to soar. According to Banyuwangi regency data, in 2011, the number of new passengers 7,826 people per year, then jumped up to 1.339 percent to 112,661 people in 2016, and this year is believed to reach 150,000 people.