Regency Government Letters Airlines To Reopen Flights To Nagan Raya Aceh

NAGAN RAYA - Nagan Raya Regency Government, Aceh Province wrote to one of Lion Group airlines to bring back scheduled aircraft flight services to Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport. In October 2024, this airline stopped flight services.

"The local government asks airlines to return to serve flights to Nagan Raya, because air transportation is urgently needed by the community, including business actors," said Head of the Nagan Raya Aceh Regency Transportation Service, Efliyanto, to ANTARA who was contacted from West Aceh, Monday, December 17.

The absence of scheduled flights to Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport has caused the community's economic activity to be affected.

People who want to use air transportation services must go to Banda Aceh so they can fly through Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Blang Bintang, Aceh Besar District.

Efliyanto said the impact of not many people who have been using aircraft services through Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport, Aceh was due to the high selling price of airplane tickets.

For flights from Nagan Raya (Meulaboh/MEQ) to Kualanamu, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra (KNO), the ticket price sold by the only airline serving flights to this area is IDR 1.4 million for one passenger.

Meanwhile, the opposite from Kualanamu (KNO) to Meulaboh (MEQ) through Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport, Aceh, is sold for the cheapest amount of IDR 1.4 million to IDR 1.5 million per passenger.

Efliyanto said the Nagan Raya Regency Government had also tried to meet with airline officials to discuss this issue, in order to reopen air transportation services through Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport.

Local governments are trying to meet with high-ranking airline officials, with the hope that scheduled flight services to Nagan Raya will reopen as usual.

DPRA's Request

Previously, member of the Aceh People's Representative Council (DPRA) Nurchalis asked the Nagan Raya Regency Government, Aceh Province, to bring back scheduled aircraft flight service services to Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport, Aceh, after one of the airlines suspended operational services since October 2024.

"The impact of the absence of aircraft to Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport has caused the investment climate to be disrupted, because investors are reluctant to go west of Aceh because there are no more scheduled aircraft transportation services," Nurchalis told ANTARA in Meulaboh, West Aceh, Monday.

According to him, the presence of scheduled aircraft that has been served four times a week, namely Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday is very helpful for business actors and the community in the south west coast of Aceh for activities, including doing business activities.

However, with the absence of scheduled aircraft flights to Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport, currently many business actors and the public must fly through Sultan Iskandar Muda Blang Bintang International Airport, Aceh Besar District.

In addition to having to spend a lot of money, the impact of the absence of aircraft has also caused the community's economic activity to be affected.

Nurchalis said that the government is currently aggressively lowering the selling price of aircraft tickets by providing a number of compensations to airlines, in order to reduce the selling price of airplane tickets to the public, in order to facilitate the mobility of residents.

But strangely, he said, airlines serving aircraft to the southern west coast of Aceh actually raised ticket prices at high prices, resulting in a decrease in passengers and then airlines eliminating flights.

Therefore, Nurchalis asked the Nagan Raya Regency Government and the Aceh Transportation Service to handle this issue, so that in the future people in the west and south coast of Aceh can again enjoy the convenience of using cheaper aircraft transportation services and not burdening consumers.

"We also ask the central government to step in to overcome the problems that occur in Aceh, especially regarding the high cost of airplane tickets, and there are no more aircraft at Cut Nyak Dhien Nagan Raya Airport," said Nurchalis.