REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Its geographical location at the eastern most tip of Indonesia makes Papua eligible for special flight regulations, which are in accordance with its needs and will help run developmental activities in the area effectively and efficiently, an aviation businessman said on Tuesday.
"The geography of Papua is unique, compared with other regions in Indonesia. This condition requires special flight rules regarding flight techniques, air crew qualifications and other legal rules as a base for aviation activities in Papua," Satya Graha Utama, the Director of PT Unitrade Persada Nusantara, a company dealing with aviation, stated.
He asserted that developmental activities in Papua could not be separated from air transport considering the geography of the province, which is spread over 317,061 square kilometers and has mountains with a height of between 500 meters and more than 5,000 meters above sea level.
According to Satya, air transportation in the mountainous region of Papua required specific and typical aircraft, such as helicopters, that would be able to navigate its steep contours. In addition, the challenges posed by weather, such as wind and air pressure, should also be taken into account while choosing the right fleet of aircraft for operations in the province.
"Flights to Papua would require a high altitude operation and the flight missions to build Papua would involve heavy lifting as the logistics of Papua's development primarily involve heavy equipment that will be used to build infrastructure," Satya pointed out.
Therefore, he continued, the type of aircraft that would be used needed to be selected specifically, along with pilots, who must master the techniques of flying in the mountainous terrain during challenging weather.
Besides the pilot must rely on visual flight rules, which are a set of rules that allow the pilot to control the aircraft by looking at objects directly outside the cockpit, because there is no avionics equipment installed on the ground.
"With regards to this issue, Indonesia can refer to flight regulations followed by other countries that have similar geographic conditions, such as Australia and Canada," Satya suggested.
Flight regulations in Papua would also involve getting permits and approval for registering foreign aircraft.
"Without air transport, the development of Papua will be very slow. During this time, we can rely on foreign planes because they meet the technical qualifications and also have a competent crew," Satya noted, adding that obtaining flight travel documents was time consuming and costly, but carrying out these operations was very urgent.
He hoped that the government would cooperate with the relevant stakeholders to immediately formulate and issue special flight regulations for Papua, so that vital administrative issues can be well taken care of, but do not inhibit air transportation in the eastern region of Indonesia.
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