Indonesian government officials have given themselves a deadline of March 2013 to complete the upgrade of Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport
The government wants the refurbished airport to open before a major APEC leadership conference to be held in Bali in 2013.
In a separate announcement, an official from Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said the government is working to overcome traffic congestion in Bali with plans to establish an island-wide rail system.
It is hoped an island-wide rail link would help to relieve Bali’s chronic traffic congestion and stimulate a more equitable distribution of tourists to all areas across the island.
Bali’s near neighbor island of Lombok is also wrestling with transport challenges.
After investing more than US$11 million in building the new Lombok airport, original plans to open the facility in March 2010 were postponed due to unfinished infrastructure-related elements, according to Bali Update (www.balidiscovery.com)
Officials are suggesting Lombok Airport “might” open in March 2011, a full year behind schedule.
State auditors say US$8 – US$12 million is still needed to make the airport fully functional.
