Indonesian skys are expanding to air travel.

Aviation authorities in Indonesia have announced the addition of 35 new air routes opening up more remote parts of the country to three domestic carriers – Merpati Airlines, Nusantara Buana Air and Susi Air – who have been awarded the rights to serve the new, so-called ‘pioneer routes’, and have been offered substantial financial grants to do so.

Merpati has secured 10 routes in Sabu, East Nusa Tenggara and West Papua. Nusantara Buana Air meanwhile, has bagged 12 pioneer routes in Aceh, North Sumatra and Susi Air has secured more than 13 routes in Aceh, West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan. The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation’s acting Air Transport Director, Djoko Murjatmodjo, said that the new routes would open for operations straight away. “They are able to operate the pioneer routes as soon as they won the tender,” Murjatmodjo was quoted saying. The 35 routes are part of the 132 such pioneer air routes put out to tender this year, aimed at connecting more remote parts of the archipelago. Indonesia comprises more than 17,500 islands and has a population of 238 million people. Of this total 135 million people (approximately 57%) live on the island of Java, and the Indonesian government is keen to boost development in outlying provinces. The 132 new routes are located in 17 provinces, mostly in eastern parts of Indonesia.

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