Irian Jaya hit by air strike

Irian Jaya hit by air strike

WAMENA, Irian Jaya: Social and economic activities in remote
parts of the Irian Jaya province have been paralyzed due to a
week-long strike by pilots of missionary flights protesting a
lack of airport safety.

Antara reported on Saturday that the Mission Aviation
Fellowship (MAF) had ceased operations out of its base airport
here while airplanes of the Association Mission Aviation (AMA)
have been grounded at the provincial capital of Jayapura.

The MAF office here remained deserted on Saturday after it
withdrew its Cessna airplanes to Jayapura and halted flights to
and from Wamena airport since July 7.

According to the news agency, among the worse hit were the
transportation of ill people in the Ninia subdistrict, Jayawijaya
district, who needed to be airlifted to the public hospital in
Wamena.

An MAF official, Audi, said here on Saturday, "The call from
Ninia was sent by radio to Wamena but we could do nothing to help
them because there was no airplane."

The flights serve as shuttles due to the difficult terrain in
the province.

Nearly 100 metric tons of rice due to be distributed to civil
servants and elementary school teachers in remote areas in
Jayawijaya have also been left waiting at the MAF warehouse in
Wamena.

Audi said MAF would like to see safety measures at airports in
the province improved.

He said locals could often been seen wandering across the
runway, endangering incoming and outgoing flights. (mds)