Jember's Notohadinegoro Airport Commences Operation

Jakarta (Antara) - After being abandoned for a couple of years, Notohadinegoro Airport in Jember, East Java, commenced operation on July 16, 2014, with the first commercial flight between Surabaya and Jember by Garuda Indonesia ATR 72-600 aircraft. With Deputy Minister of Transportation Bambang Susantono, Garuda Marketing Director Erik Meijer, and Garuda vice president of Domestic Region-3 for Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Ari Suryanta on board, the Garuda airplane landed smoothly along the Notohadinegoro Airport's runway on Wednesday. The much awaited airport, which has been in operation since Wednesday, July 16, is believed to be a driving force for the national and regional economic progress. "I extend my sincere gratitude to Garuda Indonesia. Today is an historic day for Jember district because the first flight of national flag carrier has landed on the inaugural day of Notohadinegoro Airport," Jember District Head MZA Djalal said in Jember on Wednesday. He expressed hope that after the operation, the airport at Wirowongso village can serve as an air bridge with other districts in East Java, and increase Jember district's economic growth. "We hope Garuda's commercial flights between Jember and Surabaya will continue to be maintained, and the public can make use of this new route effectively," Djalal noted. Further, Susantono pointed out that Notohadinegoro Airport considers to have received an honor from Garuda Indonesia because the national airline company rarely opens route to a new airport before other companies do so. "Garuda usually opens its route to a new airport after it has understood the marketing prospect from other airline companies," Susantono said, adding that with the operation of Notohadinegoro airport, it will become one of 230 airports in Indonesia to connect major domestic and foreign cities. Meanwhile, Banyuwangi-Jember Area Manager Boedi Prihantoro stated that as ticket reservations had opened on June 23, all the flight seats from and to Jember and Surabaya on July 16 and 17 had been booked. He remarked that the Notohadinegoro Airport on Wednesday had commenced formal operations, with the maiden flight of the 70-seater ATR 72-600 Garuda airplane. (*)