Surabaya-Jember Travel Time to be Shortened by Otniel Tamindael

Jakarta (Antara) - From the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya, it takes four hours to reach the city of Jember by train and about five hours by road. Due to traffic snarls, it can take even longer to reach the city, situated some 200 kilometers east of Surabaya. Shortening the travel time between the two cities in East Java seems impossible, but with the national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, nothing is impossible in terms of air transportation. For years, the people have been dreaming of how to make their travel easier, shorter, and more comfortable, but now, their dreams will come true as Garuda is scheduled to fly from Surabaya to Jember, starting from June 2014. "Starting from June, Garuda will operate its ATR-600 planes with a capacity of 70 passengers to serve Surabaya-Jember flights," Garuda Director of Marketing and Sales Erik Meijer said in Surabaya on Sunday. But he added that Garuda is currently awaiting the completion of various preparations in the Notohadinegoro Airport at Wirowongso Village in Jember. Resuming the operation of Notohadinegoro Airport is part of the Jember district administration's program in the field of transportation. "Following the operation of Notohadinegoro Airport, Garuda will fly from Surabaya to Jember and on to Denpasar because we want to facilitate travelling from Jember to Denpasar and Surabaya," Erik explained. According to Erik, Garuda will operate in the same manner to connect Surabaya and Banyuwangi, also in East Java, starting in May this year. He reported that Garuda Indonesia will fly the ATR 72-600 aircraft, which will have a single-class economy cabin configuration and a seating capacity of 70 passengers to serve the short-haul and remote routes of Surabaya-Banyuwangi and Surabaya-Jember. "Garuda flight service from Juanda Airport in Surabaya to Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi will be a step forward to strengthen its domestic flight schedule," he noted. Meanwhile, East Java Governor Soekarwo hailed Garuda Indonesia's plan to serve the cities of Jember and Banyuwangi in the province. "Smooth air transportation from Surabaya to Jember and Banyuwangi will further strengthen the economic progress in East Java," the governor said. With regard to the transportation-related problems plaguing Jember, the local district administration expressed hope that commercial flights to the district's Notohadinegoro Airport will commence shortly since Garuda Indonesia has shown interest in operating the Jember-Surabaya route. Jember Transportation Department spokesperson Cholifah remarked that after being abandoned for a couple of years, the Notohadinegoro Airport will soon commence operations for commercial flights between Jember and Surabaya. "The construction of support facilities and infrastructure will be expedited and completed by mid-2014, as the national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, has committed to starting regular flight operations between Surabaya and Jember," Cholifah noted in Jember recently. Since its opening in 2008, the Notohadinegoro Airport was used only by the PT Aero Express International airline, but due to the lack of passengers, the operations lasted only three months. Over the last few years, the airport has been used as a sports arena for events such as paragliding, pigeon racing, and motorcycle racing. Cholifah added that she has coordinated with the Ministry of Transportation to immediately evaluate the existing infrastructure, which may need modernization. "We hope the Ministry of Transportation will positively support the endeavor to make the Notohadinegoro Airport operational, so that the local community's dream of the Jember¿Surabaya flight service is realized," she pointed out. She further added that the Jember Transportation Department has allocated around Rp18 billion from the 2014 regional budget toward the procurement of aviation equipment, such as X-ray scanners, navigation equipment, and air traffic controllers, and the maintenance and extension of the Notohadinegoro Airport runway. The East Java administration is planning to establish a network of intercity airports in order to boost transportation between the cities in the province. The municipalities and districts in the province have been urged to sign joint ventures with private companies to construct airports to serve the city-link program. Being part of the economic development strategy based on the East Java spatial plan, the airport in Jember is expected to be integrated into the short air transport system between cities with other existing airports in East Java. Meanwhile, the Jember branch of the Young Indonesian Businessmen Association's Chairman Rendra Wirawan remarked that the operations of the Notohadinegoro Airport will contribute to economic development in the district. "Several investors have complained about the long road trip, which takes about five hours, between Surabaya and Jember, but the operations of the airport will shorten the travel time," Rendra claimed. He expressed optimism that the operations of the new airport in Jember will lure more investors to the district. The airport will also help attract tourists who can enjoy the district's abundant archeological sites. (*)