Take cheap flight to westernmost Weh Island
Take cheap flight to westernmost Weh Island
By Yasad Ali
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (Antara): A man was busy explaining to his children and wife the beautiful landscape below as the light eight-seater airplane approached the airstrip on Weh Island.
The family was visibly happy and it was probably the first time they had flown. It is a 15-minute flight from Banda Aceh to Weh Island, now being beautified and promoted as a tourist destination.
Weekly flights to the island aboard the light plane are organized by PT Sabang Merauke Raya Air Charter (SMAC), and are a special attraction for locals and people from other islands wanting to explore Indonesia's westernmost island.
"We meant to enjoy the flight," said Ahmad, who works in Weh's main town of Sabang but lives in Banda Aceh. He returned to Banda Aceh aboard the same plane after a half hour stopover in Sabang.
SMAC began operating the Banda Aceh-Sabang route on May 31. The light plane also serves the Medan-Sinabung (on Simeule Island)-Banda Aceh route on Mondays.
The company decided to operate the Banda Aceh-Sabang route because Sabang is the only western territory included in the state-sponsored Integrated Economic Development scheme, where tourism is expected to generate major revenue.
"The extra flight is to support the government's scheme, and in return the government subsidies the flight," SMAC Banda Aceh representative Saifullah said.
The actual cost of the flight from Banda Aceh to Sabang is Rp 68,500, but the government pays for half of this cost.
Saifullah said the operational cost for a Banda Aceh-Sabang flight is about Rp 250,000 (about US$42). With eight seats on the plane costing Rp 32,000 ($5) each, the company would lose money on the route without the government subsidy.
The flight has received an enthusiastic response from the residents of Weh. Until the flight began, the island of 24,000 people and Banda Aceh were connected by a ferry which ran once a day.
"We have been overwhelmed by ticket reservations in both Banda Aceh and Weh Island. You can imagine. It is a weekly flight and the aircraft only carries eight passengers," Saifullah said.
The aircraft leaves Banda Aceh every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and arrives on Weh Island at 7:45 a.m. It is expected that in the future, most of the people flying between Banda Aceh and Weh will be holidaymakers.
The plane returns to Banda Aceh some 30 minutes after its arrival in Weh. Another advantage, according to Saifullah, is that passengers from Sabang can travel on to Medan or Jakarta on the same day.
TM Yusuf, a Sabang resident, said he hoped that in the future, the Banda Aceh-Sabang route would be served by a larger aircraft, such as a Cassa which has the capacity to carry 19 passengers. He also said the number of flights to the island could be increased to two a week because Weh was becoming increasingly popular among foreign tourists who wanted to enjoy the island's natural beauty.
Saifullah conceded the eight-seater SMAC aircraft was just too small. He promised to look into the possibility of a larger aircraft and more flights.
For its regular Medan-Sinabang-Banda Aceh route, the aircraft leaves Medan at 7 a.m. and arrives in Sinabung at 8:25 a.m. Then it flies to Banda Aceh at 10:20 a.m.
A ticket from Medan to Sinabang costs Rp 207,100, and from Sinabang to Banda Aceh the price is Rp 222,500.
The opening of the Banda Aceh-Sabang route has also opened opportunity for travel agents organizing trips to Weh. In addition to the regular ferry service, visitors can also hire motorboats. Weh Island can be explored in a day.
Travel agents have envisaged a number of tour packages. One is to go to Sabang aboard SMAC's plane on Tuesday and return to Banda Aceh the following day on the ferry or a chartered boat. The second possibility is going to Sabang by ferry or boat on Sunday and returning to Banda Aceh on Tuesday by plane.
SMAC officials have expressed their interest in leasing cars in Sabang at affordable prices. "Maybe about Rp 100,000 a day for a Kijang van," Saifullah said.
The flight time to Sabang can be prolonged upon request. "Although the actual journey is only about 15 minutes, it can be extended if people wish to see the scenery, such as circling Weh Island," he said.
The Banda Aceh-Sabang air journey is the cheapest in Indonesia, probably in the world, and the tourist industry should not miss this opportunity.