Direct flights from the East Java provincial city of Surabaya and from Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara to Kupang, NTT, will bring more local and foreign tourists to the island province.
However, flights from Surabaya to Labuan Bajo and Kupang during this time still have to make a stopover in Denpasar, so NTT Tourism Office Chief Marius Ardu Jelamu has expressed hope that direct flights would be started.
Flight services are also expected to be started from other leading tourist areas, such as Lake Toba, Yogyakarta, and Mandalika, directly to NTT.
In addition, other airlines are expected to serve international flights to the province, as the two international airports of Komodo in Labuan Bajo and El Tari in Kupang are now ready.
At present, the Lion Group, a low-cost airline company, has been supporting the NTT tourism sector by starting several new flight routes to the province`s top tourist destinations.
Hence, Jelamu has lauded the management of Lion Air Group that continues to support tourism in the province.
"We highly laud the commitment of the Lion Group management for starting new flight routes, which will certainly have a positive impact on the flow of tourists to NTT," Jelamu remarked in Kupang on Friday.
Earlier, at the end of May 2018, the Lion Group, through Wings Air airline, had opened the round trip Kupang-Lombok flight route that operates on a daily basis.
In addition, starting July 8, 2018, Wings Air will open a new flight route connecting the East Java provincial city of Surabaya to Labuan Bajo in NTT.
Using the ATR 72-600 aircraft, with a capacity of 72 seats, Wings Air will serve the Surabaya-Labuan Bajo route with three flights per week on every Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The decision to open the new route is aimed at supporting the government`s development program for ensuring better connectivity across the nation.
Besides this, the new route is expected to help boost tourism in NTT, as Labuan Bajo, known for its Komodo Dragon National Park in West Manggarai District, is one of the 10 main tourist destinations designated by the government several years ago.
"Lion Group, which has, so far, become a leader in pioneering new flight routes to NTT, also plans to open the Makassar-Labuan Bajo route in the near future," Jelamu noted.
In the meantime, Lion Air Manager of Kupang Rynus Zebua confirmed to have suggested to open two new routes: Makassar to Labuan Bajo and Makassar to Maumere.
The two new routes of Makassar-Labuan Bajo and Makassar-Maumere have been proposed to Lion Air`s central management, and if approved, the routes can become operational in the near future.
The service is proposed to boost inter-regional connectivity between two cities on Flores Island: Maumere, capital of Sikka, and Labuan Bajo, capital of West Manggarai District, with Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi Province.
The Lion air management has communicated with various parties, such as tourism businesses and local governments, regarding market support for the direct service on the two new routes.
In the near future, the management of Lion Air group in Jakarta will bring in a fleet of five aircraft to support flight services in the country.
One of the aircraft proposed to be operated in NTT Province is planned to be parked at the Komodo International Airport in Labuan Bajo.
Hence, development of the Komodo International Airport in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, on Flores Island has become a priority project for the government to facilitate direct international flights.
Labuan Bajo, on the western tip of Flores, will facilitate tourists to visit Komodo island, the habitat of Komodo, an ancient giant lizard found only in that small island.
Expansion of the airport of Komodo is a priority of the government`s development program to facilitate tourists visiting the Komodo island, one of the 10 tourist destinations to be developed by the government.
In developing the 10 tourist destinations, direct international flights are the main agenda of the government, he added.
Tourist Minister Arief Yahya had stated that promotion of the Komodo airport into an international airport will attract more foreign tourists to Komodo Island.
The NTT provincial government wants to develop an international airport in each of the major tourist destinations in the province.
International flights can only be operated to NTT once the expansion of the Labuan Bajo Airport is completed.
After the completion of the Komodo International Airport in Labuan Bajo, several foreign tourists are expected to arrive from China, Japan, Australia, and other countries to Komodo Island.
Domestic flights have so far been operating to and from the province of NTT, with the Komodo International Airport serving the departures and arrivals of 28 domestic flights every day.
Having 14 active airports in NTT, the province is well-connected by direct flights with Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Makassar.
(O001/INE)
(T.O001/A/KR-BSR/A014)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
