Stol planes most suitable for Papua

Antara News, Monday, January 18, 2010 03:53 WIB

Jayapura (ANTARA News) - The operation of STOL (short take off and landing) aircraft would be highly suitable for use in Papua as the area full of steep maintain ranges with average heights of more than 100 meters above sea level.

"Besides extreme geographical and weather conditions, Papua very suitable for STOL aircraft," Director of PT Unitrade Persada Nusantara, an air transportation company, Satya Graha Utama said here Sunday.

A STOL plane could even take off and land on grassy airstrip, she said.

Satya said STOL planes are especially useful for operation in Papua because most of the airstrips there are relatively short, simple, with minimum facilities.

Planes with STOL qualifications include Twin Otters, Cesna Caravans, and Pilatus Porters, he added.

He said that for a smoother development of Papua, especially in its air transportation, the government needs to increase the capacity and facilities of its airports, especially in the transportation of logistics to the hinterhand.

Up to December 2009, several airline companies had been flying to the hinterlands of Papua carrying passengers and cargo, including Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Trigana Air Service, Avia Star Mandiri, Pelita Air Service, Deraya Air Cargo, and Air Pacifik Utama.

Besides, six religious institutions are also flying over the area reaching the hinterlands, they include Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), Tariku Aviation, Yayasan Jasa Aviasi (Yajasi), Aviation Mission Association (AMA), Adventist Aviation Indonesia, and Helimission.

According to the Papua provincial air transportation agency, there are now 269 airports, but only 30 of which have asphalted air strips, while those of the remaining 239 still have grass airstrips.