South Sulawesi to have two airlines

South Sulawesi to have two airlines

Makassar, South Sulawesi: South Sulawesi is expected to
operate two airline companies this year in its effort to attract
visitors to the province.

Governor Amin Syam said here on Friday that Celebes Airlines
had started operation on Thursday with a maiden fight of a Boeing
737-200 aircraft from Makassar to Jakarta.

"The airline, with a capacity of more than 100 passengers,
will also serve other routes to Timika and Jayapura in Papua. It
will compete with the state-owned Garuda, Pelita and Merpati
airlines and privately run Airfast and Cartenz airlines," he
said, adding that the provincial administration holds 30 percent
of the company's shares.

Amin said that in addition, Sulawesi Airlines was owned by the
provincial administration and Bugis businessmen would start its
operation this year to serve remote regencies in the province.

"Sulawesi Airlines will operate small-body aircraft to connect
the city with Tana Toraja, Selayar, Mamuju, Malili and Masamba,"
he said.

The airline businesses are expected to spur the tourism
industry in the province," he added. -- JP

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Across-forests-Riau
Riau forests to disappear by 2007
JP/5/

Riau forests to disappear by 2007

PEKANBARU, Riau: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) predict
that the forests in the province would disappear in the coming
five years unless rampant illegal logging is halted.

WWF spokesman M. Onny Setiawan, said here on Friday that the
condition of most forests in Riau had reached an alarming level
since the relevant authorities have done nothing to control
rampant illegal logging.

"The forests in the province can be maintained only if the
illegal logging is halted, otherwise the forest will disappear by
2007," he said.

Illegal logging has been rampant in Kerinci Seblat and Bukit
Tiga Puluh National Parks, with timber supplied to sawmills and
pulp industries in the province, causing annual floods and damage
to the habitat of rare animals such as Sumatran tigers, elephants
and rhinos.

In addition, an average of 2,000 hectares of forest area has
been converted annually into plantations and farmland over the
last 15 years. -- Antara

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Across-MtLokon-NSulawesi
Mt. Lokon in N. Sulawesi spews out ash
JP/5/

Mt. Lokon in N. Sulawesi spews out ash

MANADO, North Sulawesi: The authorities in Minahasa called on
locals to stay alert as Mt. Lokon spewed out ash early on Friday
following a strong eruption the day before.

No casualties were reported during the eruption.

Jemmy Runtuwene, a staff member of the volcanology office in
Manado, said the local administration had also asked sand miners
and mount climbers not to go near the area around the mountain
since it could start spewing out molten lava sometime in the
future.

"Since Thursday, the mountain spewed out hot ashes that have
spread in a two-kilometer area around the mountain. No people are
permitted to climb the mount or excavate sand from the rivers
flowing from forests on the mountain's slope," he said. -- Antara