Freeport Starts Flights to Interior Papua for Employees

Timika (Antara Bali) - International mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, which is operating in Papua province, has started a special flight for employees and their families from seven tribes, who want to take vacations in their villages in the hinterlands.

Freeport management representative William Rising, said here on Friday (24/6) that the flight will help employees, especially those from the seven tribes, and facilitate their taking holidays in their villages.

Currently, there are 4,242 Papuan employees, including those from the seven tribes (Amungme, Kamoro, Damal, Dani, Nduga, Mee and Moni) working in Timika. This number constitutes 39 percent of the total employees of PT Freeport Indonesia.

"This flight program is expected to help the employees, who are taking holidays by using regular flights," Rising said.

During this time, the employees who are spending vacations in their villages in the hinterlands should fly via Jayapura. This is because there is no special flight from Timika to their villages.

In the initial phase, the special flights for Freeports Papuan employees have been started for seven regions, namely Ilaga, Beoga, Wamena, Enarotali, Wagete, Moanemani and Sugapa.

PT Freeport deploys three aircrafts leased from Jhon Lin Air, MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) and Airfast once a week. (WDY)