President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated Makassar`s newly-built Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport here on Friday, ANTARA reported. The president signed a plaque and uncovered the airport's sign board to mark the airport's official opening. On the occasion, the head of state was accompanied by Transportation Minister Djusman Syafiee Djamal, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto and State Enterprise Minister Sofyan Djalil. The president also toured the airport which was built according to futuristic concepts at a total cost of more than Rp600 billion provided entirely by PT Angkasa Pura airport management company. The international airport terminal began to be constructed in 2005 and had already been fully operational since August 4, 2008. The airport mostly has glass walls and is decorated with traditional South Sulawesi ornaments. The international airport is located around 22 km from Makassar City and five times larger than its original size. The 52,000-m2 airport can accommodate up to eight million passengers per year. Hasanuddin airport has been developed into an international airport since October 30, 1994 based on Transportation Minister's Decree No. KM 61/1994. On March 28, 1995, the airport began to serve international flights with an initial route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The renovated airport now has an apron measuring 78,000 m2 with 33 parking lots for various types of planes, such as Cassas, Boeing 737s, Airbus 330s and Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets. Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport is considered the gate to eastern Indonesian cities, with an average passenger growth of 15-30 percent annually. President Yudhoyono and his entourage landed at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport on Friday morning from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. He is scheduled to return to Jakarta on Friday afternoon.
