Sultan Thaha Airport reopens

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)