The construction of the new Bali airport in Kubutambahan in Buleleng Regency will begin in 2020, according to reporting in local news wires.

Bali Governor, I Wayan Koster made the announcement in a speech at the Arts Centre in Denpasar on New Year's Eve following surveys and feasibility studies involving the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, the Director General of Air Transportation Polana B. Pramesti, Governor Koster and Buleleng Regent Putu Agus Suradnyana.

"We reviewed the location to be used for the construction of the new Bali airport in Kubutambahan using 370 hectares of land belonging to the Kubutambahan customary village plus 50 hectares from the traditional Sani village," said Koster.

An Ideal Location

According to Polana, not many people live in the area and the land has no constraints.  In terms of location, he told Bisnis, the site "was also very good because there were no social or religious obstacles such as Hindu holy places or temples."

Koster also added it would be built to higher specifications and quality than the current airport at Ngurah Rai and with Balinese themes with the hope that it would become not just a new icon for Bali, but for the whole of Indonesia.

Timetables for Completion

The public consultation process for the construction of the new airport began on December 19 and a timetable for immediate implementation has already been drawn up. Construction is expected to begin in 2020 and to be completed within 4-years. A fully operational airport is slated to be open for business for 2025.

Koster believes the North Bali airport will be of great benefit not only to the regencies of Karangasem, Bangli and Jembrana but also to Bali as a whole as it would address the current imbalance of wealth and development between the north and south of the island.

There is no other way to address this balance, Koster told Detik as equitable development is for everyone's benefit and he asked local communities to support the project as it is "for the common interest, for the future of all of us," he said.

Developing Infrastructure

The hope is this will also fast track much needed infrastructural development. Gapura Bali reported in April 2018 on the opportunities this could bring, quoting Antara News and Vice Governor Kerta as saying that in order for the new airport project to be successful it must run in tandem with the construction of expressways, sport tourism, world trade centers, yacht harbors monorails and train links.

The issue of access to the site is already being addressed. Koster has already inaugurated the Denpasar-Buleleng short cut road that starts at points 5-6 in Pegayaman Village, which is targeted to be completed by 2021.

Koster's plan was warmly welcomed by Buleleng Regent Suradnyana, according to Detik, who was optimistic the airport will create momentum to improve the welfare of the people in northern Bali. 

The new airport is being funded through a structure of cooperation between the government and business entities according to Mohamad Pramintohadi Sukarno, Director of the Airport Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation. Detik are reporting the Minister of Transportation as suggesting the new airport will be serving Low Cost Carriers (LCC), while the island's current airport at Ngurah Rai would focus mainly on high-end travelers.

Opportunities to Improve

Terje Nilsen, Principal of Harcourts Seven Stones told WILLIAMS MEDIA he believes the development of Bali's north coast will provide some exciting property investment opportunities in the very near future. "The area is relatively untouched when compared to the tourist magnets in the south and it's a great opportunity to learn from the mistakes the south has made," he says. "My hope is there's a stronger focus on planning, environmental awareness and local community development and businesses that support these initiatives are encouraged to become actively involved. It will then be a win-win situation for everyone."

Sources: Detik, Antara News, Gapura Bali, Bisnis, Tribun Bali, Gesuri

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