Citilink Ensures To Continue To Serve Flights At JB Sudirman Airport Purbalingga

DOC VIA ANTARA/HO/Citilink Airline

PURBALINGGA - Citilink airline ensures that it will continue to serve flights to and from Jenderal Besar Airport (JB) Sudirman, Purbalingga, Central Java with an operational schedule of twice a week.

"We have made a direct commitment to the Regent of Purbalingga, that from November 25 onwards we will fly back with the same schedule, namely Thursday and Saturday," said PT Citilink Indonesia President Director Juliandra Nurtjahjo after meeting with the Purbalingga Regency Government officials in Purbalingga as reported by Antara, Thursday, October 28.

The meeting was held after news circulated that Citilink Airlines was no longer serving flights at JB Sudirman Airport.

He also added that the reduction in the highest rate for the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) rapid test is a breath of fresh air for airlines and is expected to increase public interest in using air transportation.

Juliandra explained that at the beginning of the operation of JB Sudirman Airport in June 2021, the public's interest in using air transportation to and from Purbalingga was very good.

"However, in July there began to be the Imposition of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) so that the trend decreased. Plus the price of the PCR test as a flight condition is still high, so it is suspected that the public's interest has decreased so that in October there were almost no flights," he said.

In addition to fresh air with the decrease in the price of RT-PCR, he said, his party will also cooperate with the local government to make packages in order to increase public interest.

"With the cooperation with the local government and the addition of a reduction in the price of PCR, it is hoped that it will increase the interest of the residents of Purbalingga and its surroundings to fly again," he said.

Meanwhile, Purbalingga Regent Dyah Hayuning Pratiwi said that in this meeting with Citilink, the constraints and alternative solutions were also discussed.

The Regent also ensured that he would make a policy as a solution to increase flight occupancy from JB Sudirman Airport.

"Some of the solution options that will be discussed further are the PCR subsidies. There is also a kind of booking seat from the local government until public interest returns to normal, there is a quota that we will book for Citilink flights, we are still discussing this but this is one alternative solution," he said.