Jember, East Java (Antara) - The newly operated Notohadinegoro airport in Jember district, East Java, was thronged by returning Idul Fitri holiday travelers on Saturday, according to PT Garuda area manager Budi Prihantono. "All 70 seats of the national flag carrier Garuda¿s aircraft from Jember to Surabaya on Saturday have been fully booked, but a lot more prospective passengers are seen at the airport," Prihantono said. Public interest in using air transportation to and from Notohadinegoro airport during the Idul Fitri holiday season was very high, he noted. "Today the number of departing passengers from the airport is higher than the number of arrivals," he said, adding that there was no delay in flight schedules during the holiday season this year. The Notohadinegoro Airport commenced formal operations on July 16, 2014 with the maiden flight of the 70-seater ATR 72-600 Garuda airplane, Prihantono remarked. Jember residents are very enthusiastic about the Notohadinegoro Airport becoming operational, he said. The Garuda ticket fare from Jember to Surabaya is Rp279 thousand per passenger and Rp350 thousand per passenger from Surabaya to Jember, he stated. "For the time being, Garuda is operating just one return flight per day, while waiting for the market to develop further," he added. Located in the eastern part of East Java, Jember district was in desperate need of better air transport facilities in order to boost tourism in the region. From Surabaya, it takes more than four hours to reach the city of Jember by road, but can take longer due to traffic snarls. Regarding the transportation-related problems plaguing Jember, the local district administration spokesperson Cholifah expressed hope that the commercial flights to the Notohadinegoro Airport will continue. In the past few years, the airport has been used as a sports arena for activities such as paragliding, pigeon racing, and motorcycle racing. She had coordinated with the Ministry of Transportation to immediately evaluate the existing infrastructure, which may need to be modernized, Cholifah observed. "The Ministry of Transportation has supported the endeavor to make the Notohadinegoro Airport operational, and the local community's dream of a Jember-Surabaya flight service has now been realized," she pointed out. (*)

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Editor : Tunggul Susilo


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