The government is considering expanding the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport or building a new one elsewhere as the current facility is thought to be no longer adequate for the traffic it handles, an airport spokesman said on Thursday.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which sits 35 kilometers northwest of the capital, was now considered too small for the fast-growing number of passengers and flights passing through it.

Several locations were being considered for the new international airport, including Cilegon in Banten and Karawang in West Java.

Alternately, a plan to increase the capacity of the existing airport is being considered.

But both plans come with drawbacks.

The expansion threatens to displace residents living near Soekarno-Hatta in Tangerang.

Meanwhile, a relocated facility would be much farther from the city center than the current airport, further inconveniencing passengers.

Cilegon, an industrial area on the west coast, is located around 80 kilometers from Jakarta while Karawang, known as the nation’s rice bowl, is about 70 kilometers east of the city.

Both regions have toll road access to Jakarta.

The government had asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency to conduct a feasibility study exploring both an airport expansion and a new airport. The study is expected to be completed in 2012.

The site for a new airport needed to have easy access to the Greater Jakarta area, and must have the appropriate geographical conditions, as well as air space.

The master plan study started in October 2010, and the firm was still calculating the cost and other technical details, including the design and capacity of a potential new airport.

“We’re just starting this project but our master plan is designed for [an expanded] Soekarno-Hatta, or a new airport, both of which must be able to handle the growing traffic until 2030,” JICA said, adding that JICA would issue a preliminary finding in the next two weeks.

JICA’s expansion plan for the existing airport involved constructing one or two new runways, renovating and enlarging the existing three terminals and building of a fourth.

“Additional runways will impact the surrounding inhabitants. We’re thinking maybe we will have to relocate the residents,” JICA added.

Soekarno-Hatta, which began operation in 1985, has recently seen few blackouts and telecommunication disruptions, causing airport delays and spurring public anger.