Sultan Thaha Airport reopens

JAKARTA (JP): Thanksgiving prayers marked the arrival of a F- 28 Merpati plane Sunday morning at the Sultan Thaha Airport in Jambi, the first to land after the airport was closed 75 days ago due to thick haze.

The prayers were led by the head of Jambi's ministry of transportation, Sjarief Chan, and representatives of the airline and the airport.

The airport has been closed since Aug. 31 when visibility was often less than 500 meters as thick haze, caused by forest fires, enveloped the province in the last three months.

"We are obliged to express our gratitude to God who has improved the climate and lifted people's suffering because of the severe drought and haze," Sjarief told Antara yesterday.

Four planes landed Sunday, including three Merpati planes and one Mandala, as visibility was significantly improved to four kilometers. Rain last week was also a huge relief.

At least 3,372 flights were canceled in Sumatra and Kalimantan during August and September, including 959 cancellations in Pontianak in West Kalimantan, and 358 in Padang, West Sumatra. Various airports were also closed.

The haze from forest fires also seriously affected the country's tourism industry as tourists were reluctant to visit this region.

From January to September this year 3.2 million tourists visited the country and spent some US$4.2 billion.

The government projected between 5.3 million and 5.7 million arrivals this year, where they are expected to spend up to $7.14 billion.

"The tourism industry should learn from this experience," Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave said in Bali over the weekend.

But this year's severe drought, believed to be the worst in the last 50 years, did not only bring suffering.

The dry season has been a blessing in disguise for hundreds of farmers in Karang Intan, Banjar regency, South Kalimantan's largest durian producer.

They could not harvest their rice fields but their production of durian was believed to have been the most successful in the last few years.

"We must thank God for helping farmers who have been suffering from the severe drought and God has helped through your durian trees," Antara quoted governor Gusti Hasan Aman as telling Biih villagers Sunday.

Gusti said at least 24,310 hectares of forest and oil palm plantations have been destroyed by fire this year.

"The fires have caused Rp 97.75 billion in losses," Gusti told reporters. (prb)