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)