Support The F1 Powerboat, Garuda Indonesia And Citilink Flights To Silangit, North Sumatra, Will Be Added

Garuda Indonesia aircraft. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Flights to Silangit International Airport with Garuda Indonesia and Citilink airlines will be added. This step is to support motorboat racing or F1H2O aka F1 Powerboat on Lake Toba.

F1 Powerboat itself will be held at Lake Toba, Bige, North Sumatra, from February 24 to 26, 2023.

Marketing and Consumer Experience Director InJourney Maya Watono said the additional flights were carried out to increase access and connectivity from tourists.

"We will add flights from 22 to 28 (February 2023), Garuda, Citilink," he said in Jakarta, Friday, February 3.

Maya said that flights to Silangit Airport as one of the accesses to Lake Toba usually only have 2 or 3 flights per day. Given the international standard F1 Powerboat event, he anticipates a surge in tourists to Lake Toba.

"Because usually the Silangit airport only has 2-3 flights in a day, we will add as many as possible on 22 to 28 to accommodate the size of the attractance that comes," he said.

On the accommodation side, Maya said that she would integrate hotels owned by SOEs as a place to stay for tourists. This will be coordinated through Hotel Indonesia Natour (HIN).

"For hotels, we will coordinate with HIN," he said.

As is known, ahead of the F1 PowerBoat event, the Ministry of SOEs and state-owned companies themselves have made a number of preparations and support.

Deputy Minister of BUMN II Kartika Wirjoatmodjo revealed a number of supports provided, one of which was to place PT Aviasi Wisata Indonesia or InJourney as the main organizer.

"We at BUMN are preparing several things at InJourney to become EO (event organizers) especially to carry out this," he said.

Apart from InJourney, he said, there is another support from PT Angkasa Pura II through Silangit International Airport in North Sumatra. Then, there is support for logistical access for riders and officials.

Tiko, Kartika's nickname, revealed that in the process of delivering logistics, there was indeed something challenging. Given the position of Lake Toba in the highlands.

"Then from the supporters we have prepared Silangit Airport and logistics we have also prepared the ship, the ship is difficult to transport from the port to the top of Lake Toba because it has to go through the road, be taken by a truck, so it's quite complex but interesting too," he said.