TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Timor-Leste airline Air Timor has opened a direct flight route connecting Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara and Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste.

“Today we announce the opening of an international route connecting Kupang and Dili served three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting December 15, 2017,” Air Timor General Manager Andisuari Dewi said yesterday in Kupang.

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She said that the charter flights will be served using ATR 72-600 with a capacity of 70 seats belongs to Indonesian airline TransNusa Aviation Mandiri.

Air Timor was in negotiations with TransNusa in May before signing an aircraft charter agreement in June. “The cooperation agreement for the route will last for a year and a half starting from the opening of the route on December 15,” she said.

Andisuari said that Timor-Leste people have long been waiting for the opening of the direct flight route, and its government has been very supportive.

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Air Timor was pleased to announce that the in-principle approval from the Indonesian Transportation Office (DOC) and a flight permit from Timor-Leste were secured on November 23, allowing the company to sell tickets for the flight route.

“A ticket for Kupang-Dili route now is available at 62 US dollars per sector plus taxes, while the ticket from Dili to Kupang is available for 60 dollars,” she said.

ANTARA