SENAYANPOST – On Tuesday, July 31, 2024, Raden Adipati Surya, the Regent of Way Kanan, Lampung, welcomed the entourage of Prof. Dr. General TNI (Ret.) AM Hendropriyono at Gatot Subroto Airport located in the Way Tuba District, Way Kanan Regency, in northern Lampung Province.
This Regent who initiated the "Child-Worthy Regency" explained that the struggle to commercialize the Indonesian Military (TNI) Army (AD) Gatot Subroto Airfield (Lanud) had begun during the leadership era of Mr. Tamanuri, who served as Regent of Way Kanan in 2005.
Utilization of the TNI AD Gatot Subroto Airfield will increase the economic activity of the community not only in Way Tuba Regency, Lampung Province, but also four other regencies, namely the West Lampung Regency in Lampung Province and the OKU Regency, East OKU Regency and South OKU Regency in the South Sumatra Province.
"This airport is profitable. The market share is 2 million people from five regencies where there are 20 large-scale industrial companies," he explained.
The Way Kanan Regency Government is very serious about developing the TNI AD Gatot Subroto Airfield into a commercial airport, and invested Rp.12 billion during Raden Adipati Surya's tenure as regent to add facilities in the area of ​that former runway built during the Japanese occupation.
Currently, only small ATR aircraft owned by Citilink and Susi Air can land at Gatot Subroto Army Airbase. However, both provide flights in the late afternoon and evening, which required lighting equipment that was not yet available.
"We ask the General's help so that ATR can land during the day. At least as a something for the people to remember him by," requested that Vice Chairman of the Lampung Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).
Responding to this request, that former Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Prof. Dr. General TNI (ret.) AM Hendropriyono is willing to help the efforts of the Way Kanan Regency Government.
"I also want to participate. We must fight together. Operations must be private, who must be called upon to join hands," he explained.
The Gatot Subroto TNI AD Air Base was previously a Japanese-made runway that was discovered by General TNI (Ret.) AM Hendropriyono when he served as Commander of the Garuda Hitam Lampung Military District (Danrem) when searching for the remains of the terrorist group led by Warsidi which was affiliated with the Islamic State of Indonesia (NII) at the end of 1989.
At that time, Battalion 143, led by Captain Sutomo, discovered this Japanese-made runway in Ramsai Village, Way Tuba District, Way Kanan Regency, northern Lampung Province. AM Hendropriyono and the Way Tuba people then cleared the runway until it was developed by the Indonesian Army into an airport.
"When building it, the community had a dream of being able to fly to Jakarta," recalled AM Hendropriyono while doing community service with the Way Tuba people.
The initiator of the Philosophy of Intelligence Science saw that Gatot Subroto Airport has great potential and work on it must begin.
"Here, I think it can be managed. The investment is not too big, it can be started as a pioneer airport," he explained.
