Ocean airport plan making waves in Bali

Canadian investors are proposing a spectacular plan to build a floating airport to serve the tourist island Bali in Indonesia.
The $3 billion plan presented last week will supplement the Ngurah Rai International Aiport in Denpasar, Bali.
It will be constructed on a beach off Kubutambahan in Buleleng.
According to Indonesan media, the Canadian investor had presented the airport construction master plan to the regent of Buleleng on May 20.
I Made Mangku, who spoke on behalf of the Canadian investor, said that according to plan, the airport would be constructed on 1,400 hectares of reclaimed water area on the beach.
He added that the airport would have two runways. A 125-meter bridge will be also constructed to connect the airport to the mainland.
"According to the master plan, part of the beach will be reclaimed but will not be converted into an island and water will continue to float under the airport. Construction will be supported by concrete piles," he said.
The investor had prepared 80 per cent of it, he added. 
Indonesia’s transport authorities have previously cited Kubutambahan as being the most likely site for Bali’s second airport, but this is the first time plans for floating airport have been revealed.
The location is approximately 70km north of the existing Ngurah Rai International Airport at Denpasar, and the new airport is likely to be connected to the island’s southern resort areas by road and rail links.
No timeline for the project was made available. 
Ngurah Rai International Airport in Tuban will receive an estimated 20-million passengers by 2015, which will far exceed its current capacity. An additional airport in Buleleng had been planned by the Bali provincial administration to address the overspill. 
A Canadian embassy official identified as Tracy Reynolds, was quoted by metrobali.com, as saying that North Bali has a huge potential for tourism due to its culture and nature. Thorough dialogue between Indonesia and Canada would be needed on this issue to bring it to fruition.
The consultant from Canada who had made the pitch was identified as Canada Airport Kinesis.
“The airport itself has been definitely determined in Kubutambahan, Buleleng, and there are many first class paddy fields. So if it to be sacrificed, I was worried would disrupt food production there,” the regent said when listening to the explanation of consultants led by Trade Commissioner Embassy of Canada, Tommy Ruslim, in Denpasar earlier.
According to him, by building the new airport on top of the ocean and by having reclamation about 600 hectares, it will not disadvantage the surrounding farmland.
Survey of the ocean depths in Kubutambahan, show the waters around Kubutambahan are very deep and the waves will not interfere with the construction of the airport.
A representative from the Airport Kinesis Canada, Shad Serroune, explained the concept of airport development in North Bali to Indonesian media.
By carrying the name Dwijendra International Airport, it is hoped that the new airport able to tackle congestion in the region of South Bali.
“Construction of the airport above sea plans to use reclamation system, we estimate 134 million cubic soils needed to a depth of no more than 100 meters,” he said.
He added that, in addition to build an airport, it also provides a superior proposal, namely the construction of hospitals, education centers and training of aerospace. The construction and operation of the airport will carry the environmentally friendly concept.
In addition, Shad Serroune also promised the development of this airport will open up many new jobs for the local workforce. The plan in addition to domestic flights, the airport will also serve international flights.