Indonesia's state-run airport administrator Angkasa Pura I (AP I) planned to construct a new international class airport in Bali's northern coastal regency of Buleleng next year, in anticipation of the growing number of tourists to the resort island, local media reported on Wednesday.

AP I spokesman Miduk Situmorang said the firm was set to start drafting the master plan for the airport with the Indian investor GVK Power and Infrastructure at the end of this year.

"We will start construction of the Buleleng airport in the second half of 2013, after we have finished the Ngurah Rai International Airport expansion project in May (of 2013)," Miduk said earlier.

The new airport in Buleleng is designed to accommodate 25 million passengers annually.

"As one of the world's favorite tourist destinations, Bali should be able to accommodate at least 50 million air passengers annually. We are ready to provide important infrastructure to the government to support tourism and boost the economy," he said, quoted by the Jakarta Post.

The planned new airport would gradually overtake Ngurah Rai International Airport since the latter faces land constraint problems that prevents the operator from extending the runway.

Currently, the company is expanding Ngurah Rai in anticipation of surging traffic prior to and after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit at the end of next year. They have spent 2.7 trillion rupiah (about $286.2 million) to improve the airport's international terminal, build a new apron and expand the parking facilities.

The expansion project will increase the airport's total capacity from 9 million to 25 million passengers per year, and the new apron will manage up to 20 wide-bodied aircraft, including Boeing 747 and Airbus 380.

Ngurah Rai airport will also have a terminal for private jet passengers in partnership with a Swiss-based leading global business aviation organization ExecuJet Aviation Group (EAG). The 80 billion rupiah-VIP terminal is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

AP I recorded 12.77 million passengers traveling through Ngurah Rai international airport throughout 2011, up from 11.1 million in 2010. The figure is expected to reach 14.6 million by the end of this year.