Sunday, August 25, 2024 Indonesian airline TransNusa Aviation Group is showing interest in launching direct flights between Manado, Indonesia, and Mindanao to enhance trade, investment, and tourism opportunities between the two regions, according to an official from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA). MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro informed MindaNews about his meeting with Dato Bernard Francis, the CEO of TransNusa, at the airline’s Jakarta office. This discussion took place during the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Special Senior Officials Meeting, held in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank on August 20.
“The meeting with TransNusa was also a pitch for Mindanao, (where we) presented trade, investment and tourism opportunities, particularly highlighting Davao,” he said. He said that MinDA presented the “passenger statistics” of the previous flights between the two cities and incentives for airlines under the BIMP-EAGA, particularly the extended travel tax exemption. BIMP-EAGA, a 30-year-old sub-regional economic cooperation initiative, aims to stimulate economic growth in the less-developed sub-economies of its member countries.
Montenegro noted that Manado serves as a hub for the COMAC ARJ21 jet aircraft, which features a specialized interior with 95 seats. Montenegro said the airline will review the data before it will make a decision but noted that if the plan pushes through, TransNusa aims to start servicing the route in the first quarter of 2025, initially operating two to three flights times weekly, “depending on the results of the study.” Citylink Indonesia, part of the Garuda Group, had previously revived the Davao-Manado-Davao route with twice-weekly flights starting on September 27, 2019.
However, former Mayor Sara Duterte suspended four international routes, including the Davao-Manado-Davao service, along with 21 domestic flights from Davao International Airport in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19. MinDa said in a statement that the airline recognizes the “crucial role a direct Manado-Davao air link could play in boosting economic ties, promoting tourism, and facilitating trade across the region.” It said that TransNusa “is the first airline worldwide to utilize COMAC ARJ21.
” “The airline is dedicated to providing reliable, safe, and affordable air travel across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. With a strong focus on connectivity and customer service, TransNusa aims to enhance regional mobility and contribute to the economic development of the communities it serves,” it added. In addition to TransNusa, Leading Edge Air Services Corporation (LEASCOR), affiliated with ACDI Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC), has also shown interest in operating the same route.
The meeting between MinDA officials and TransNusa executives was organized with the support of the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao. The proposed route’s revival is anticipated to boost economic activity, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and advance the BIMP-EAGA’s vision of fostering a more connected and economically dynamic region..
