"Previously, Merpati served the Mataram-Bima route once a day. Now on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the frequency of flights has been raised to twice a day. In total, we serve the route 10 times a week," the airline company`s branch manager in Mataram, H Kisworo, said here on Tuesday.
The vast majority of Merpati passengers from Mataram to Bima or the other way around were government officials, tourists and businessmen, he said.
The rising demand for air transport services was inseparable from the growth of the tourism sector in Sumbawa island, he said.
"A number of large-scale tourism events held in Sumbawa island, West Nusa Tenggara, such as Festival Lakey are expected to be one of the factors causing people to turn to air services from Mataram to Sumbawa island," he said.
The airline company currently uses MA-60 planes with a capacity of carrying 54 passengers to serve the route.
The other airline company that serves the route is Transnusa which receives subsidy from the government.
(Uu.S012/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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