TransNusa To Open Routes To Dili, Darwin

Kuta (Antara Bali) -  PT Transnusa Air Services will soon  open routes  from Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara to Dili in  Timor Leste, and  from Kupang to Darwin, Australia, a company executive said.

"To serve the  Kupang-Dili and Kupang-Darwin routes starting  in the fourth quarter of this year, we will purchase six Fokker aircraft," Budhy Syahroni Karsidin, the airline's business development manager, said here Saturday.

Since getting the air operator certificate (AOC) in the past year the government requires Transnusa to operate at least ten units of aircraft for flight routes in the eastern region of Indonesia.

Until now Transnusa has six fleet consisting of four types of Fokker and two British Aero Space.

"We use this AOC to welcome the competition in air transport business in 'ASEAN Open Sky'," Budhy noted.

In the business license TransNusa include 37 air routes in the eastern region of Indonesia.

Up to now the airlines based in Kupang is already serving 50 percent of its routes as mentioned in the business license especially in East Nusa Tenggara such as Flores, Ruteng, Labuan Bajo (Komodo Island), Maumere, Waingapu and Alor.

Regarding the routes which are often constrained by the weather TransNusa recruited an expert from the Netherlands, Mike Binen. The man who had experience for 25 years at Fokker factory was hired as Technical Director of TransNusa.

"The purpose of recruiting an expert from the Netherlands is because we give priority to safety, security and passenger comfort," Budhy explained.

Since December 2011, TransNusa also has opened a direct flight route from Kupang to Makassar.

"If during this the passengers from Kupang destination to Makassar (South Sulawesi) must first transit in Denpasar (Bali) or Surabaya (East Java) then we can do a direct flight from Kupang to Makassar," he said.

Meanwhile, for the route flight from Kupang to the big cities in Java, TransNusa is working with Sriwijaya Air.

Transnusa was established in August 2005 to serve flights  in East Nusa Tenggara by operating chartered planes owned by Trigana and Pelita Air Services.

In 2007 TransNusa was trusted to handle ticket reservations of Mandala Air, while in 2009-2010, Transnusa took five airlines, namely Riau Air, Avia Star, Mandala, Sriwijaya and Indonesia Air Transport.

Transnusa daily flight routes also serve Denpasar-Mataram, Denpasar-Kupang and Makassar-Kupang.(T007)