Tomy plans new airline for Kendari

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Controversial businessman Tomy Winata plans to open a flight path to the Southeast Sulawesi province, as he pushes ahead with his investment plans despite protests from local journalists.

Tomy's Artha Graha Group (AGG) planned to launch Anoa Air flying a Fokker F-50, said AGG consultant Mintarto Gunawan on Tuesday.

He said the airline would serve the Jakarta-Kendari route. AGG hoped to capitalize on a surge of tourists and businessmen coming to the province.

"AGG may get only a 50 percent share of the revenue, while the rest will be split between the administration of the province and the regencies over which the airline will fly," Mintarto said without disclosing AGG's investment in the airline.

Tomy's investment plans in Kendari stirred protests among several local journalists who had criticized his alleged involvement in the attack in March against reporters of Tempo magazine in Jakarta.

His supporters reportedly attacked the magazine in response to what they said was Tempo's biased news reports about Tomy. -- Antara