Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, October 12, 2026 at 09:15 AM UTC

Indonesia eyes direct flights between Papua, Papua New Guinea

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Qadri Pratiwi, Uyu Liman

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Indonesian Ambassador to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Okto Dorinus Manik, is exploring the possibility of launching direct air routes between Papua New Guinea and Jayapura, the provincial capital of Papua.

He noted that the initiative aims to boost cross-border trade and passenger mobility.

"On Thursday (October 8), we met with Papua Governor Matius D. Fakhiri to explore untapped opportunities between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, particularly in the economic, social, and cultural sectors," Manik said here on Sunday.

"Therefore, strengthening land, sea, and air connectivity remains our core priority," he added.

The meeting marked Manik’s first official visit to the Papua provincial government since assuming his diplomatic post in Port Moresby five months ago.

"Papua's geographical location, which shares a direct border with Papua New Guinea, provides a strategic advantage to deepen bilateral cooperation, especially in stimulating commercial activity among frontier communities," he noted.

Beyond commercial aviation, the ambassador said that the government also plans to roll out pioneer bus services and develop new overland routes along the shared border.

On maritime transport, he stated plans are underway to enhance logistics and trade flows by linking the Port of Jayapura directly to various key coastal cities in Papua New Guinea.

Manik expressed optimism that the discussions would translate into concrete cooperative ventures and bolster diplomatic ties between the Papua provincial administration and the Papua New Guinea government.

"Enhanced connectivity between the two sides will unlock new avenues for developing trade, social, and cultural potentials, while fostering closer people-to-people ties along the shared border," he said.

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