Governor arranges extra flight to retrieve choir contingent stranded in Manokwari

Medan (ANTARA) - The Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, is arranging an extra flight for the North Sumatra Pesparawi (Church Choir Festival) contingent, which was previously stranded in Manokkeri, West Papua.

This confirmation was made by the Governor in response to viral social media posts claiming that the North Sumatra Pesparawi contingent was unable to return to Medan due to flight ticket constraints.

“So the solution is, they will return tomorrow morning. We are preparing an extra flight from Lion Group airlines, so they can fly directly from Papua to Medan,” Bobby stated firmly at the North Sumatra Governor’s Office on Tuesday.

The Governor explained that this issue occurred due to administrative mismanagement of travel arrangements handled by the Bureau of People’s Welfare (Kesra) of the North Sumatra Provincial Secretariat.

Prior to the contingent’s departure, he had reminded all parties to ensure all travel requirements, including return tickets, were properly prepared.

It is noted that the XIV/2026 National Church Choir Festival, which competes for the rotating President of the Republic of Indonesia trophy, is taking place in Manokwari, West Papua, from 18–28 June 2026.

“It was indeed an error by the Bureau of Welfare. Before they departed, I had actually reminded them during the audience to ensure return tickets were prepared from the start,” he said.

The Governor mentioned that the budget prepared for the contingent’s return was insufficient due to the increase in airfares, which caused difficulties in rebooking tickets.

“As we know, the budget they initially prepared was sufficient, but there was an increase in airfares, so the budget became inadequate,” he said.

To resolve the issue, the North Sumatra Provincial Government has taken swift action by preparing additional funding to ensure all members of the contingent can return to the region immediately.

With this extra flight being arranged, the North Sumatra Pesparawi contingent is scheduled to arrive at Kualanamu International Airport, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, on Wednesday (1/7).

“The North Sumatra Provincial Government will cover the costs for their return tickets so that the entire contingent can return safely and comfortably,” Bobby added.