REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Former Vice President, Jusuf Kalla who becomes ambassador of Komodo Island hopes direct flight  there would be direct flights to Labuan Bajo as main gate of Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara. 

"We must make every effort so there are direct flights to Labuan Bajo (from Jakarta). Currently, tourists who want to visit Komodo Island must firstly transit in Surabaya, East Java," Kalla said recently.

Local airport in Labuan Bajo is now extended. In future, boeing aircraft can enter this airport and it will make more and more tourists come to the island. Kalla saw Komodo Island now grew rapidly. There are many hotels and about 10 flights every day.

Komodo is no longer a remote island that can be reached only by wealthy tourists who have private boats. Most visitors to Komodo National Park enter through gateway City of Bima in eastern Sumbawa or Labuan Bajo in West Flores. Beside air transport from Surabaya, gateway to Komodo is also through Bali Island. 

Kalla said he was happy as Komodo National Park had been named as one of New 7 Wonders of Nature. He campaigned to public to produce more than 200 million SMS. 

"It was incredible," he said. 

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