Flights full as Christmas nears

MANADO, North Sulawesi: The flow of passengers coming into and out of Sam Ratulangi airport in Manado here has been on the rise as Christmas approaches.

Sales Manager of Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Chatrience Watung, said the load factor on flights between Jakarta and Manado had been 100 percent in the past few days. Similarly, Batavia Air's District Manager Freddy Mangindaan also said that the number of passengers flying from Jakarta to Manado had been on the rise.

Unlike most other areas across Indonesia, North Sulawesi province is a predominantly Christian area. -- Antara