Subsidy for pioneer flights remains available."Kupang (ANTARA News) - The government will allocate Rp7.9 billion in the 2014 state budget to subsidize pioneer flights in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, a local transport official stated.
The funds will be used to subsidize six pioneer flight routes in East Nusa Tenggara and Kisar in Maluku province, Head of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial transportation office Stefanus Ratoe Oedjoe elaborated here on Thursday.
"Subsidy for pioneer flights remains available. Only, the number of flight routes will be reduced to six in 2014 from seven in 2013," he pointed out.
The six subsidized flight routes include Kupang-Rote Ndao, Alor-Rote, Sabu-Waingapu, Sabu-Ende and Kupang-Atambua-Kisar.
The flight routes are subsidized because no commercial planes serve the routes, he explained.
The Airport Authority Board in Bali will soon call for a tender to get a reliable airline company to serve the flight routes, he elaborated.
Therefore, he expressed hope that the airline company will start serving the subsidized pioneer flight routes in April at the latest.
So far, only state airline company Merpati Nusantara Airlines serves the pioneer flight route in East Nusa Tenggara.
Since Merpati is heavily under debts, some other airline company will be named as tender winner, he added.
"I am not sure whether Merpati will participate in issuing the tender or not, as it is facing problems. But we hope it will continue to enjoy the trust to serve the pioneer route," he remarked.
(Reporting by Bernadus Tokan/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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