The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has initiated a tender for the construction of the VVIP airport in the IKN. The project has a budget of IDR 4.286 trillion, funded by the 2023 State Budget (APBN). The tender announcement was posted on the official website lpse.pu.go.id on September 29, 2023.
The construction package involves the physical construction of the VVIP Airport (runway side) with the aim of enhancing the accessibility and mobility of important guests (VVIP) to and from the IKN area via air transport. The location of the construction package is in Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan Province.
The registration deadline for the tender is October 9, 2023, with the contract signing targeted for November 14, 2023, before entering the construction phase. The announcement of the winning bid is expected on November 7, 2023.
President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo expressed signals to expedite the construction of the VVIP airport during his visit to IKN on September 23, 2023.
“I believe that by early August 2024, this VVIP airport will be completed because it is the key. When this is finished, I am confident that investors will flock to invest in IKN,” he said.
At that time, Jokowi explained that the travel time between the VVIP airport and the core central government area (KIPP) of IKN would be approximately 15 minutes.
The airport is located around 25 kilometers from Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan. Meanwhile, it is about 107 kilometers from Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto International Airport in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.
Earlier, on August 18, 2023, the Ministry of PUPR conducted a tender for the construction of the IKN toll road, the Jembatan Pulau Balang-Sp. Riko segment, with a tender value of IDR 3.6 trillion. The tender process for this toll road construction package reached the Opening and Evaluation of Bid File I: Administration and Technical.
The announcement of the winner from the 83 tender participants is targeted for October 6, 2023, with the contract signing on October 13, 2023. This toll road, spanning 13.275 kilometers, will be connected to the VVIP airport.
The construction package includes road construction, bridge construction, and elevated pile slab. The length of the road to be built using the 2023-2024 APBN funds is 11.7 kilometers, and the bridge length is 0.475 kilometers.