However, the provincial government is solely allowing each airline to operate on one flight route daily during the enforcement of the new normal order, Head of the Bangka Belitung Islands Transportation Office K. A.Tajuddin stated here on Thursday.
The restriction on flight frequencies for each airline was part of the Bangka Belitung Islands governor's cautious policies to respond to the central government's decision to relax measures for the operation of means of public transportation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted.
The flight routes served by several airlines from the Pangkalpinang-based Airport are Pangkalpinang-Jakarta, Tanjungpandan-Jakarta, as well as Pangkalpinang-Tanjungpandan, Batam, Palembang, and Solo, he remarked.
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Apart from resuming commercial flight services, the local government has also allowed sea transportation operators to serve the Tanjung Kalian-Tanjung Api-Api routes five times a day, he stated.
Vessels can operate at only 50-percent seating capacity under the preventive measures to thwart the spread of the novel coronavirus disease among passengers and crew members, he pointed out.
Local airline PT TransNusa Aviation Mandiri has also planned to resume flights on its eastern Indonesian routes on June 22 from Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara Province.
However, only some routes will be served, while other flight routes would remain slashed until June 30, according to the local airline management.
The company announced that Kupang-Ruteng-Kupang, Kupang-Bawaja-Kupang, Kupang-Alor-Kupang, Kupang-Larantuka-Kupang, Kupang-Waingapu-Kupang, and Kupang-Tambolaka-Kupang are the flight routes to be served.
All passengers must adhere to the COVID-19 protocols before being allowed to board the TransNusa aircraft as part of the endeavors to thwart the transmission of the lethal virus, including presenting health documents to ascertain they are healthy and did not contract COVID-19.
Doctors from credible health centers and hospitals issue the health documents. Furthermore, passengers should possess official notifications that show they have tested negative for coronavirus.
Passengers can obtain further necessary information on the conditions applied on the Indonesian Health Ministry's official website http://sinkarkes.kemkes.go.id/ehac.
All passengers are also required to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their departure time, as the airport authorities will thoroughly check all required documents before allowing them to proceed to the check-in counters, according to the airline.
On May 27, 2020, President Joko Widodo had unveiled his plan to expand the enforcement of the new normal order if the transmission of COVID-19 significantly declined in the selected areas.
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Translator: Apriois, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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