BANDUNG - To support the MotoGP Grand Prix event at The Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit (better known as the Mandalika Circuit) on 20 March 2022, PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) seeks to improve the facilities and capacity of Lombok International Airport. This improvement is realized by expanding the terminal, increasing the carrying capacity (overlay) & extending the runway, and expanding the apron. 

As a design consultant, NSE plays a role in designing airside facilities such as overlaying the existing runway & runway extension and expanding the west-side apron. This design includes the design of soil improvement, pavement, drainage, airfield lighting & electrical, and other supporting facilities. 

Design for PCN improvement (overlay) by 2,750 meters and extend the runway to threshold 31 from 2,750 meters to 3,300 meters. In addition, NSE is also planning to expand the apron to 136,300 m2 from the existing area of only 108,100 m2. Reporting from ap1.co.id, with such a wide apron, the apron can accommodate 16 aircraft consisting of 10 narrow-body aircraft and six wide-body aircraft. 

In February 2022, ahead of the 2022 MotoGP pre-season test at the Mandalika Circuit, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Lombok International Airport began to receive the arrival of the riders, crew, team officials, and cargo. 

Reported on inews.id, the Airbus 330-200 (MTOW 233 tons) with flight number MH8760 landed on Monday (7/2/2022) afternoon at 15.56 WITA with 248 passengers who were MotoGP racers and crew. The day after that, Lombok International Airport returned with a cargo plane carrying logistics for the 2022 MotoGP pre-season test participants with Qatar Airways flight number QR8394 on Tuesday (8/2/2022) afternoon. The Boeing 747-400F (MTOW 397 tons) aircraft landed at 12.11 WITA with 77,993 kg of logistics, previously departed from Kuala Lumpur. Not only that, a cargo plane from Qatar Airways with flight number QR8496 landed at 21.08 WITA. The cargo plane, a Boeing 777F (MTOW 347 ton) departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, carries 71,318 kg of logistics. 

The wide-body and cargo plane mentioned above landed without a hitch. This event proves that the airside facilities planned by NSE, in this case, the overlay, runway extension, and apron expansion, have proven to accommodate the designed aircraft and participate in the success of the Mandalika 2022 MotoGP event.