Ministry Pushes Airlines to Add Routes for 3TP Areas
- VIVA/Mohammad Yudha Prasetya
Jakarta – Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi encourages the Indonesia National Air Carrier Association (INACA) and airlines in the country to increase flight services in 3TP areas (Underdeveloped, Remote, Outermost, and Inland).
Until now, Minister Sumadi revealed there are still very few flight route services available in these 3T areas. People in these areas need flight services to support their activities.
If we look at the big airports, they are very busy. But small airports both in Java and outside Java are very lacking," said Minister Budi Karya Sumadi at the 53rd INACA Annual General Meeting (RUAT) in Central Jakarta, on Thursday.
Although several flight routes are profitable from a business perspective, such as Jakarta-Bali or Jakarta-Makasar, the minister explained the need to build connectivity in the 3TP areas.
Although he understands that building connectivity in the 3TP area is quite difficult but Minister Sumadi hopes that related stakeholders can help realize flight services in the areas, especially in Eastern Indonesia.
"Find good formats, formats of togetherness with the community, districts, and so on. Because we need help from INACA to bridge members in the regions, to implement it well," the Minister remarked.
On the same occasion, INACA Chairman Denon Prawiraatmadja added that the encouragement from the Transportation minister was a positive appeal for INACA, including for airlines.
He admitted that he would try to conduct a study regarding the initiative, and hoped that the government could also assist airlines in their efforts to operate pioneer flights to 3TP areas.
"Because of the existing cooperation, we need to study together. So that airlines that support flight activities in these remote areas can understand the difficulties faced," Prawiraatmada concluded.