REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG - The government would allocate 7.9 billion IDR in the 2014 state budget to subsidize pioneer flights in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, a local transport official stated.

The funds would 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 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 were subsidized because no commercial planes serve the routes, he explained.

The Airport Authority Board in Bali would soon call for a tender to get a reliable airline company to serve the flight routes, he elaborated. Therefore, Oedjoe expressed hope that the airline company would start serving the subsidized pioneer flight routes in April at the latest.

So far, only state airline company Merpati Nusantara Airlines served the pioneer flight route in East Nusa Tenggara. Since Merpati was heavily under debts, some other airline company would 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.

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