TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo plans to open a flight school for the people of Biak, Papua, on October 2016. According to Lenis Kagoya, the Presidential Special Staff for Papua, the establishment of the flight school is the answer to the lack of educational progress in Papua.
"This flight school will be inaugurated on the second week of October 2016," Lenis said after a meeting with the President on Monday, September 26, 2016. Lenis added that infrastructures of the school have been built complete with its supporting facilities.
Currently, there are 30 Papuan pilot candidates who have received training in Cirebon. The candidates will return to Papua to continue their training with other candidates at the new flight school.
Lanis said that the President hoped that the flight school would allow Papuans to become pilots for Indonesian airlines, such as Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, and other airlines.
"We built [the new flight school] in Papua, because in Papua there are many mountains and sea winds. We want [pilot candidates] to get used to these conditions," Lenis said.
ISTMAN MP