Why Does Indonesia Build World-Class Airports While Australia Still Waits?
By Newsdesk
Landing in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, today, I was struck by something many Australians may find surprising.
The airport serving this regional Indonesian city of around 750,000 people feels every bit like a modern international gateway. Spacious, clean, efficient, architecturally impressive and equipped with world-class facilities, it is a far cry from what many people might expect when they think of regional Indonesia.
It also raises an uncomfortable question.
How is Indonesia, still considered by many to be a developing nation, able to build infrastructure of this standard while Australia continues to spend decades debating projects before a single passenger boards a plane?
Balikpapan’s Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport opened its new terminal in 2014 after an investment of around Rp2 trillion, approximately US$178 million at the time. The terminal spans approximately 110,000 square metres and was designed to accommodate 10 million passengers annually, making it one of eastern Indonesia’s largest airports. It was built to replace an overcrowded terminal that had long exceeded capacity. (Wikipedia)
By comparison, Australia’s long-awaited second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek, now known as Western Sydney International Airport, has an initial terminal of approximately 90,000 square metres, also designed for around 10