Flights from Indonesia to E. Timor resumed

Asian Economic News, March 6, 2000

DILI, East Timor, March 3 Kyodo

Indonesia's state airline resumed flights to East Timor on Friday morning for the first time since violence rocked the territory last September.

Starting Friday, Merpati Nusantara Airlines will run return flights from Indonesia's resort island Bali to East Timor's capital Dili on Monday and Friday. A return ticket costs $400.

There were only eight passengers -- journalists and businessmen -- on the 75-passenger plane, however.

"This is a part of Merpati's commitment to serving air transportation to and from Dili," said Imam Turidy, Merpati corporate affairs manager.

The flights were resumed on the basis of market considerations, Imam said.

"The potential market for this route is (United Nations) personnel taking vacations, representatives of foreign embassies in Indonesia who are looking into opening embassies or consulates in East Timor, foreign investors and journalists," he said.

Although the flights are currently "chartered," regular flights will start after the Indonesian Transportation Ministry grants the airline permission.

"Maybe, the permission will be issued after Indonesia opens a consulate in Dili," a public relations officer at the airline said.

The day was not without confusion, however.

Merpati check-in receptionist I Nyoman Mertha was forced to ask a series of questions to her supervisor about new procedures, including whether travelers will have to pay the international airport tax to fly to the former Indonesian possession.

"Now, the flight to East Timor is an international one and they paid the taxes for the domestic flight from Jakarta to Denpasar (Bali's capital). So, they must pay the international tax for the flight to Dili," the supervisor said.

The passengers, however, were willing to understand.

"Fresh flight, fresh procedures and they are confused," an Australian businessman said.

On their arrival in Dili they were told that they could not use the Indonesian customs form that they were given on the flight. "This is useless here. This is East Timor, not Indonesia," an East Timorese immigration officer said.

It was the first flight to East Timor since the airline halted operations in September last year after violence that erupted following the announcement of the Aug. 30 ballot on self-determination.

Since then, flights to and from East Timor have been served by the U.N. Transitional Administration in East Timor and Australia.