ASDP to Resume Pioneer Ferry Operations in NTT

PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) will resume its pioneer ferry crossing services in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) from Monday, 20 July 2026. ASDP President Director Heru Widodo said the resumption came after Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi instructed the Class II NTT Land Transport Management Centre (BPTD) to reactivate the service.

He said the company had coordinated with the Ministry of Transportation and regulators to ensure all operational aspects were ready to run. “ASDP is ready to resume pioneer crossing services in accordance with the government’s direction. For communities in island regions, especially the 3T (frontier, outermost and disadvantaged) areas, this service is the main link for social and economic activity,” Heru said in a written statement on Sunday, 19 July 2026.

Ardhani Friandy, General Manager of ASDP’s Kupang Branch, said the company had prepared its fleet, crews and port services so that operations could resume in line with regulatory requirements.

The services being resumed cover pioneer ferry routes served by ASDP’s Kupang and Sape branches, including routes in the Flores, Lembata, Alor, Sabu Raijua, Sikka, West Manggarai and Waingapu areas.

Previously, all pioneer crossing operations in the working areas of ASDP’s Kupang and Sape branches had been suspended since 1 July 2026. The suspension was carried out after the Class II NTT BPTD declared that regional governments did not yet have a funding basis to pay subsidies to the operator. This was triggered by the unavailability of the pioneer ferry crossing subsidy budget from the second semester of the 2026 fiscal year under the state budget (APBN).

In a letter dated 30 June 2026, the BPTD asked ASDP to temporarily halt all pioneer crossing services funded by the APBN until further notice. The policy was subsequently forwarded by the NTT Transport Office to the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government the following week.

According to a copy of the letter, the suspended pioneer crossings included Labuan Bajo–Waingapu and Labuan Bajo–Rinca Island for routes under ASDP’s Sape branch, as well as the Kalabahi–Bakalang–Baranusa–Adonara route, the Lewoleba–Solor–Larantuka route, and the Sabu–Raijua–Waingapu route.

Also suspended were the Kalabahi–Pura Island–Teluk Gurita–Maritaing–Kewapante–Palue–Marapokot route, the Kewapante–Pemana route, and the Kewapante–Pulau Besar route, all served by ASDP’s Kupang branch. Tempo had sought confirmation of the letter from the Ministry of Transportation and ASDP, but the response came from ASDP in the form of a press statement or media release.