Following a recent row between Garuda Indonesia and US-based gold and copper company PT
Freeport Indonesia, State SOE Minister Mustafa Abubakar said Wednesday he had agreed to review the possibility of state oil company PT Pertamina building a fuel depot in Timika, Papua, to support flights there.
On Monday, Garuda decided to suspend its Timika route after Freeport, which had been providing fuel for Garuda, halted supplies.
As a commercial airliner, it said, Garuda holds an International Operational Safety Audit requiring its destination cities to assure fuel supply and reserve fuel.
Garuda spokesman Pudjobroto said this occurred shortly after the airline’s refusal to take Freeport executives from Jayapura to Timika on Sunday.
However, Freeport spokesman Mindo Pangaribuan denied the claim, saying Freeport’s fuel stocks had run low following the Christmas and New Year period.
Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, in response to the situation, asked Garuda to continue its services to Timika, saying he would ask the SOE minister to have Pertamina open a fuel depot.
Freddy said Tuesday the government could not blame US-based gold mine PT Freeport Indonesia for refusing to supply fuel to Garuda — the government’s responsibility — at the Freeport-run Moses Kilangin Airport in Timika.
“All these times we’ve been delivering fuel for Freeport in Surabaya, from where Freeport then takes the fuel to Timika.
“The process had been running well; there were no problems,” Mustafa said, responding to Freddy’s
request.
“As long as the process can fulfill the needs of Garuda and Merpati, another airline serving the Timika route, it should be continued. However, if there is an obstacle or Freeport lacks fuel for its operation,
I agree to review the policy and consider the building of a Pertamina depot.”
Mustafa acknowledged from an economic point of view, building a Pertamina depot might not be
efficient.
“But, we must also consider efforts to provide supporting facilities there, including air transportation,” he told reporters after an event at the Presidential Palace.
Mustafa added that he would again hold a meeting with representatives of Garuda and Freeport to find the best solution for the problem, such as building a Pertamina fuel depot in Timika.
Freddy earlier warned the government not to play down the issue, saying that Papua was vulnerable
to politicizing. The halt of flight services to Timika, he said, could spark another wave of calls for
independence.
The government, Freddy added, thanked Freeport for providing air transportation to remote areas and sparing its fuel stock for planes transiting at Moses Kilangin Airport.
In Timika, meanwhile, Garuda asked Merpati to serve 20 of its would-be passengers heading to Denpasar and Jakarta.
“We’re still coordinating with Merpati so that passengers leaving for Denpasar and Jakarta can depart tomorrow via Makassar,” Agung Subroto, head of the Garuda branch in Timika, told Antara Tuesday.
Agung said the Jakarta-Denpasar-Timika-Jayapura route had been shifted to the Jakarta-Denpasar-Biak-Jayapura route since Tuesday night, following a letter of order from Garuda’s operational director.
“The route change will take effect starting Jan. 5 until an indefinite period of time because of fuel shortages at Timika airport,” he said.
The incident involving Garuda and Freeport met strong criticism from the House of Representatives, with a call for the Transportation Ministry to take action against Freeport, considered as arrogant.
