It would be a challenge for all air transportation, tourism, and other stakeholders to bring in up to 20 million passengers at the airport whose construction cost reached Rp11.3 trillion, Jokowi noted here on Friday during the inauguration of YIA.
"(It could accommodate up to) 20 million passengers. This is our common duty how to bring in 20 million passengers. It is no easy task," Jokowi emphasized.
The YIA also boasts of a runway measuring up to 3,250 meters in length to serve flights and accommodate the arrival of large aircraft, such as Airbus 380 and Boeing 777. The terminal area spans 17 thousand square meters.
The new airport's building is also resistant to earthquakes measuring up to 8.8 on the Richter scale and is able to withstand 12-meter-high tsunami waves. The work to construct the airport only took 20 months.
The head of state is optimistic that the Yogyakarta International Airport would become the busiest once the COVID-19 pandemic is over and all Indonesians are vaccinated.
"We know that the pandemic is still ongoing. I understand if it is not yet full. However, as soon as the vaccinations begin, God willing, I believe this airport will be the busiest," he affirmed.