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Visit To IKN, Minister Of Transportation Hopes For Clear Weather To Optimize Airport Development

Minister of Transportation Budi KaryaSumadi stated that the biggest challenge in the development of IKN Airport is the continuous rain in East Kalimantan. Therefore, the Minister instructed weather modification to be improved in the upcoming months, in order to optimize the construction of IKN Airport. This was conveyed by the Minister during his inspection of the progress of IKN Airport construction on Friday (12/7).

"From the discussions during the meeting and my own experience in the field, the biggest challenge in infrastructure development in IKN is the weather. It should be noted that the rainfall in East Kalimantan has been quite high in the past month, with only eight days of clear weather. Therefore, weather modification is a necessity," said the Minister.

The Minister explained that out of a total of 30 days, only 8 days were sunny in the IKN area. If this condition continues, he continued, the construction target of several facilities at IKN Airport may potentially be delayed from the initial plan. The BMKG has been making efforts in weather modification and has generally succeeded in reducing rainfall intensity.

"I request that weather modification in East Kalimantan can be improved in collaboration with all stakeholders. I hope this step can support the acceleration of infrastructure development in the IKN area as a whole. I ask for prayers from all Indonesian people so that the various efforts made can yield the best results," explained the Minister.

Furthermore, during his visit to the IKN Airport construction project, the Minister inspected several points, one of which was the airport terminal building. According to him, the progress of construction at this location is generally good and can continue to be maximized.

"The access road to the airport is already passable. Other ongoing works include ceiling installation and mechanical electrical work," the Minister explained.

I appreciate the hard work of Minister of PUPR and his team in completing this airport project. Their contribution is very meaningful for the progress of the country," expressed the Minister of Transportation.

Regarding the high rainfall in the IKN area, the Minister of Transportation received a detailed explanation from the Head of BMKG, DwikoritaKarnawati, through a video conference conducted from her official residence in IKN. Dwikorita revealed that from June 1, 2024, to June 12, 2024, when Weather Modification Technology (TMC) had not been implemented, rainfall events continued to occur in IKN. Then, after the implementation of TMC, from June 14, 2024, to June 16, 2024, there was practically no rain.

However, on July 7, 2024, there was already an early warning about the Madden Julian Oscillation phenomenon, a weather anomaly that had been predicted several days earlier. "Indeed, with such a strong anomaly, this (rain) cannot be prevented," concluded Dwikorita.

Also present at this event were the Director General of Air Transportation Maria Kristi, the Director of Airports of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa, the Head of Airport Authority Wil. 7 Balikpapan KadekYuliSastrawan, and the Director of Road Development at the Ministry of PUPR WidaNurfaida.

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Tag: Airport Budi KaryaSumadi IKN Transportation